XPost: 24hoursupport.helpdesk, alt.politics.scorched-earth, uk.politics.misc   
   XPost: uk.legal, alt.politics.uk   
   From: burfordTjustice@tues.uk   
      
   UK super-rich got richer despite Brexit: rich list   
      
      
   London (AFP) - Britain's super-rich "kept calm and carried on making billions"   
   despite worries about Brexit, according to The Sunday Times newspaper's Rich   
   List for 2017, with more billionaires living in the country than ever before.   
      
   In the past 12 months, the total wealth of Britain's richest 1,000 individuals   
   and families surged 14 percent to £658 billion ($854 billion, 777 billion   
   euros), the paper said.   
      
   It said that there are now more UK-based billionaires than ever before, at 134.   
      
   Industrialist brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja topped the list with a combined   
   wealth of £16.2 billion, up £3.2 billion over the previous year.   
      
   "While many of us worried about the outcome of the EU referendum, many of   
   Britain's richest people just kept calm and carried on making billions," said   
   the list compiler, Robert Watts.   
      
   "We expected to see a chilling effect in the run-up to the EU referendum, but   
   that simply did not materialise."   
      
   Britain voted in June 2016 to leave the EU after more than four decades of   
   membership in a referendum that sent shockwaves across Europe.   
      
   Despite gloomy forecasts ahead of the referendum, the UK economy proved   
   resilient in the last six months of 2016 with a weaker pound and record low   
   interest rates helping to boost exports and investor confidence.   
      
   "A buoyant stock market usually drives the wealth of Rich Listers higher, and   
   since last June equities have soared," Watts said.   
      
   London remains the city with the most billionaires at 86, up nine over the   
   previous year.   
      
   - Adele joins list -   
      
   Overall, 19 people increased their wealth by £1 billion or more in a year.   
      
   Publicity-shy brothers David and Simon Reuben, who topped the year last year,   
   fell down two places despite adding £900 million to their £14 billion   
   fortune.   
      
   Among the 58 newcomers -- a minimum of £110 million is now required to make   
   the list compared to just £15 million in 1997 -- are famous names including   
   chart topper Adele.   
      
   The singer, who released her third studio album "25" and went on a world tour   
   in 2016, is now worth £125 million, making her the sixth richest person under   
   30.   
      
   Football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic and "Fifty Shades of Grey" author EL James   
   also made the cut for the first time.   
      
   Other well-known names include Paul McCartney (£780 million), Elton John   
   (£290 million), Lewis Hamilton (£131 million), and David and Victoria   
   Beckham who have a combined wealth of £300 million.   
      
   "Harry Potter" creator J.K. Rowling continued to work her magic, adding £50   
   million to bring her estimated fortune to £650 million.   
      
   Queen Elizabeth II, who turned 91 in April, slipped 10 places to become the   
   329th richest person in her kingdom, with a wealth of £360 million.   
      
   The list does not count the totality of the income and assets from the Crown   
   Estate -- the collection of lands and holdings belonging to the monarch but   
   controlled by an independent board -- whose property portfolio alone is now   
   worth £12 billion.   
      
   Her fortune is therefore easily dwarfed by the Duke of Westminster's.   
      
   At just 26 the Duke, one of Prince George's godfathers once dubbed "the   
   world's most eligible bachelor is at the head of a £9.5 billion empire.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)