London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 08, 2026

Tax evasion rewards: Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty make Sunday Times Rich List

Tax evasion rewards: Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty make Sunday Times Rich List

Chancellor Rishi Sunak and his wife make the Sunday Times Rich List for first time with £730m fortune.

Their joint £730m fortune ranks them at 222 of the paper's annual list.

Recently, Ms Murty's tax affairs came under scrutiny after it was revealed she had "non-dom" status - meaning she did not pay UK tax on overseas income.

Ms Murty, the daughter of an Indian IT billionaire, later agreed to pay UK taxes on all her earnings.

Her 0.9% stake in her father Narayana Murty's IT company Infosys, estimated to be worth around £690m, earned her £11.6m in dividend income last year.

It is estimated her use of non-dom status could have saved her £20m in taxes.

The Sunday Times said the couple had made their first appearance on the Rich List now because it was only able to confirm Ms Murty's stake in her father's business over the last year.

Mr Sunak was later cleared of breaching the ministerial code after referring himself to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's standards adviser to check if he had properly declared all his interests.

A "non-dom" tax designation, short for "non-domiciled individual", is a term used for a UK resident whose permanent home, or domicile, is outside the UK.

Someone with the status only pays UK tax on money earned in the UK, but does not have to pay any tax to the British government on money made elsewhere in the world (unless they pay that money into a UK bank account).

Meanwhile, the latest ranking of the 250 richest people in Britain also revealed a record 177 billionaires in the UK this year, the Sunday Times said.

Overall, the richest individuals and families in the UK this year are worth £711bn, an 8% rise on last year's £658bn.

The expanding fortunes of Britain's wealthiest people comes amid a growing cost of living crisis, with UK inflation rising sharply to 9% in the year to April - meaning prices are rising at their fastest rate for 40 years.

In February, Mr Sunak announced a £9bn package of measures, including a £150 discount to council tax and a £200 loan for energy bills in the autumn, but he is under increasing pressure to offer more support to households as energy bills and food prices continue to rise.

Sri and Gopi Hinduja, who run the India-based conglomerate Hinduja Group, topped the list with their £28.47bn fortune - a growth of more than £11bn in a year.

Entrepreneur Sir James Dyson and his family jumped to second in the rich list after a £6.7bn increase to £23bn.


Who makes the top 10?


According to the Sunday Times, the 10 richest families and individuals in the UK, the estimated value of their fortunes and the primary source of their wealth are:

*  Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family - £28.47bn (industry and finance)
*  Sir James Dyson and family - £23bn (household goods and technology)
*  David and Simon Reuben and family- £22.26bn (property and internet)
*  Sir Leonard Blavatnik - £20bn (investment, music and media)
*  Guillaume Pousaz- £19.259bn (online payments)
*  Lakshmi Mittal and family - £17bn (steel)
*  Christoph Henkel and family - £15bn (chemicals)
*  Guy, George, Alannah and Galen Weston and family - £13.5bn (retailing)
*  Kirsten and Jorn Rausing - £12bn (inheritance and investment)
*  Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho - £11.42bn (inheritance, brewing and banking)

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's ranking dropped sharply after being sanctioned over the Ukraine war


However, Chelsea owner and Russian steel magnate Roman Abramovich's wealth halved in a year to £6bn - dropping him 20 places from his 2021 ranking to 28th on this year's rich list.

The oligarch is the biggest loser of all in this year's Rich List, the Sunday Times said.

The plummet in Mr Abramovich's fortunes followed his being sanctioned over the war in Ukraine, the enforced sale of Chelsea and the sharp fall in his shares in steel company Evraz.

The premier league club is expected to be sold in late May, after £4.25bn deal to purchase it was agreed with a consortium led by American businessmen Todd Boehly.

Another notable billionaire with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin whose fortunes have suffered since sanctions were imposed, if not so dramatically, is Uzbek-born Russian oil oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

His estimated worth dropped by £3bn to £10bn, falling from sixth to 11th place.


For more info, please visit https://www.thetimes.co.uk/sunday-times-rich-list 

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
English Councils Push Government to Rethink Proposed Funding Cuts
Scottish Homebuilding Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Years
BBC Chief Matt Brittin Defends Restructuring as Staff Challenge Job Cuts
UK Finance Warns High Energy Costs and Bond Yields Are Complicating Fiscal Outlook
UK Adopts All 44 Recommendations on Regulating AI in Healthcare
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget as Borrowing Costs Strain Public Finances
UK Investigators See Strong Indications of Iranian Link After RAF Fairford Security Operation
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
UK Threatens Diplomatic Expulsions Over Planned Closure of East Jerusalem Consulate
UK Energy Price Cap Hits Three-Year High as Middle East Conflict Raises Costs
Seventh Arrest Made in Suspected Terror Plot at RAF Fairford
Systemic Education Collapse Sparks Mass Student Uprisings in France
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Fuel and Wholesale Energy Prices Higher
Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Second Brexit Referendum in Review of UK-EU Relations
EY Warns UK Fiscal Headroom Has Halved to £11 Billion Ahead of Autumn Budget
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
×