The UK’s 10 Richest People Who Invested in Property

According to Forbes, the best way for the rich to become more rich is to invest in real estate.

Owning property translates to steady cash flow, and once you have splurged on the high-value real estate, the rent money generates itself almost on its own.

ADVERSTISEMENT

And in our current economic climate, rent prices are high and assets such as apartment complexes as very valuable. Many UK millionaires turned into billionaires by putting their money into property, proving that this is the most lucrative way to multiply wealth. Let’s have a look at some of the UK’s 10 richest people who invested their money in property.

10. Mark Pears and Family

10. Mark Pears and Family
ibtimes.co.uk, news.cision.com

Net Worth: $4b

The patriarch of the Pears family and their incredible wealth keeps his empire under wraps. Over the last 60 years, not much has been uncovered about the family’s business ventures and how they make their money.

However, it is known that Mark Pears invested a lot of money into real estate, owning reportedly over 200 separate entities in London and the South-East of England. So, it is clear that much of the Pears family wealth comes from rent money and the buying and selling of real estates, such as the Bloomsbury property, which they sold for over $10m. 

9. Eddie and Sol Zakay

9. Eddie and Sol Zakay
Forbes, Jewish Business News

Net Worth: $4.2b

The Zakay brothers own an incredibly successful real estate company called Topland Company. They reportedly started making money when they entered into leasing deals with large companies such as Tesco and Marks and Spencer. They also invested in 37 hotels.

The Israeli-born investors have a stake in student housing across the UK, as well. They made a $100m deal in Wembley in 2018 to build around 5,000 homes, as well as hotels and other buildings. This is new ground for the Zakay brothers and a move away from retail businesses and hotels, but their business model is promising since students every year need housing during their studies.

8. Ian and Richard Livingstone

8. Ian and Richard Livingstone
cphc.ac.uk, Wikimedia Commons

Net Worth: $4.7b

Initially, the Livingstone brothers had many opticians around London and the UK, but after selling that company, they invested their fortune into real estate, thus generating an impressive amount of money. The Evening Standard reports that they own many trophy properties around London like houses and hotels on a Monopoly board.

The Livingstone brothers are not only settled in London, however. They own hotels in Ibiza, Barbados, and Monte Carlo as well. And, reportedly, they are planning to open a seaside resort in Cuba and to invest significant amounts of money into city development in Panama.

7. Baroness Howard de Walden and Family

7. Baroness Howard de Walden and Family
Tatler, Wikipedia

Net Worth: $4.9b

The de Walden family has been wealthy since the 19th century, so the fact that they acquired this much wealth over the years comes as no surprise to anyone. However, they are on this list because most of their money comes from real estate investments. 

The family owns a very large estate in Marylebone, one of the fanciest areas in London. This property stretches across two entire streets, and it has been in the possession of the de Waldens since 1879. Most of their wealth comes from their tenants, which include medical groups and luxurious shops on Harley Street and Marylebone High Street. 

6. John Grayken

6. John Grayken
Hollywood Reporter, realestate.wharton.upenn.edu

Net Worth: $5.8b

John Grayken is an American investor, but he has been pouring money into the UK, specifically into the London area. His main business venture is a private equity firm called Lone Star Funds – a highly successful company that provides him with a high steady income.

Grayken has invested his money in a lot of property; he has a $35m penthouse in Boston, but his large projects currently focus on London. His property company, Quintain, is investing large sums into an area near Wembley Stadium and has plans to create over 7,000 homes in the near future.

5. Sir Henry Keswick and Family

5. Sir Henry Keswick and Family
SCMP, twitter.com/drpongsakh

Net Worth: $5.9b

Sir Henry Keswick owns the company Jardine Matheson and resigned from its board only last year, due to old age. This business conglomerate includes the company Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, with 28 hotels in cities all over the world, such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, New York, and London.

The company is currently run by Keswick’s nephew, so the money stays in the family. They invest mainly in hotels; Jardine Matheson is a parent company to Hong Kong Land, a property investment firm that focuses mainly on East Asian real estate and was established by Sir Henry Keswick in 1989. The businessman owns properties and investment firms all over the world!

4. Earl Cadogan and Family

4. Earl Cadogan and Family
thetimes.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk

Net Worth: $8.3b

Earl Cadogan is a true real estate mogul: over half of his wealth is comprised of property investment. However, the English royal was certainly born with a silver spoon in his mouth! Over 100 acres of land and real estate in Chelsea and Kensington have been in the family’s possession for over 300 years.

Most of his billions come from retail spaces in luxurious areas of London, such as King’s Road and Sloane Square, and due to property value and rent cost skyrocketing over the years, the family’s business has been booming. Their income jumped 10% in 2016 and has been climbing steadily since.

3. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay

3. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay
Metro News, News Scoops

Net Worth: $9.2b

The Barclay twins started out working at General Electric in accounts but quickly went on to build an impressive property portfolio. They own the Ritz in London and many other high-profile hotels, but they also invest in Shop Direct, which includes brands such as Very UK, a low-cost clothing brand. 

The 84-year-old twins used to own stakes in the Maybourne Group, which owns many hotels all across the world, including the famous Claridge’s. The brothers sold their shares for over $2.5b in 2015.

2. The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor Family

2. The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor Family
thesun.co.uk, europesroyals.tumblr.com

Net Worth: $12.4b

Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster became the UK’s youngest billionaire following the passing of his father. He inherited not only an incredible amount of wealth but land and property in valuable places all over the British Isles, as well. 

His empire includes 300 acres of Belgravia and Mayfair, but he owns real estate in Cheshire, Oxford, Scotland, and abroad in Spain, as well. The Grosvenor family owns a total of 0.22% of the UK’s land. 

1. David and Simon Reuben

1. David and Simon Reuben
thetimes.co.uk, Jewish Business News

Net Worth: $18.7b

The Reuben brothers made their money in the aluminum business, which they quickly poured into London’s property market, to make sure what they earned wasn’t spent carelessly. They own real estate in Mayfair, Kensington, and the West End, the ritziest areas of London. And they are not done expanding their empire!

Recently, the brothers acquired Clareville House on Penton Street for a whopping $65m, in April they bought the 60,620 square ft. 100 Pall Mall for $90m, and they are turning most of these iconic locations into hotels or putting them up for rent, thus continually generating revenue.

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Icon Scout, Herald Land, Fool

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