A Kent-based family whose wealth has rocketed by almost £9 billion in the past year are now sixth on the UK rich list.
Barnaby Swire, who lives in Chartham, near Canterbury, has soared up the rankings compiled by The Sunday Times.
The newspaper reports this morning that ‘Barnaby and Merlin Swire and family’ are now worth a staggering £17.2 billion, rising 12 places since last year.
It puts them £3 billion behind Sir James Dyson in fifth and £6 billion off Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe in fourth.
Meanwhile, Sir Roger De Haan - the man behind the transformation of Folkestone seafront, who made his fortune through the sale of Saga - has seen his wealth drop over the past year.
He and his brother Peter are now worth a combined £825 million, down £26 million and five places to 205th.
This is still more than The King’s wealth of £610 million.
But it pales in comparison with the vast fortune of the Swire family.
Barnaby Swire, who was educated at Eton and Oxford University, is the chairman of global corporation the Swire Group, while Merlin is managing director.
The Swire Group’s wealth comes from industry, transport and property, according to The Sunday Times.
It reports that the family conglomerate has a large stake in Cathay Pacific and extensive holdings in Asia.
Sir John Swire, Barnaby’s father, was a former chairman of the Swire Group. He lived in Selling, near Faversham, and died aged 89 in 2016.
Barnaby Swire’s wife Camilla has been an active campaigner on housing developments in the Canterbury area.
In 2021, she launched a legal challenge in an effort to quash outline planning permission for the 400-home Cockering Farm development on the outskirts of Thanington.
But the judicial review was rejected by the High Court in 2022.
Mrs Swire was also instrumental in halting a bid to demolish the abandoned Thruxted Mill between Canterbury and Ashford and replace it with a housing estate.
Developers hoping to build 20 homes pledged to decontaminate the site at an estimated cost of £1.75 million - and the proposals were given outline permission.
Former housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, determined an environmental impact assessment into potential land contamination was not necessary.
However, a legal challenge from Mrs Swire halted the project’s progress and the application was later pulled.
The Sunday Times also reports that the family of the late Mohamed Al Fayed - including his daughter Camilla, who lives on an organic farm in Kent that supplies her vegan restaurant in Notting Hill - is now worth £1.5 billion.
Rolling Stones legend Sir Mick Jagger, from Dartford, is 315th on the list with £415 million.
