Galen and George Weston
Just missing out on the top spot are Galen and George Weston, with a wealth of £6.65bn – up by £750M from last year.
The Weston family owns Selfridges department stores in the UK, as well as operating various business ventures in Canada and North America.
Weston Foods produces a variety of fresh, frozen and speciality bakery products in over 40 facilities across North America. The company is also a supplier of ice cream cones and sandwich wafers to the dairy industry and a supplier of Girl Scout cookies in the United States.
The family also owns Canada’s largest retailer, Loblaw supermarkets.
George Weston runs Associated British Foods (ABF), whose brands include Allied Bakeries, Westmill Foods, Twinings, Ryvita and The Silver Spoon Company. He also owns luxury department store Fortnum & Mason and discount fashion retailer Primark.
ABF are currently embroiled in a tax dodging row with charity Action Aid. The charity claims the ABF-owned subsidiary Illovo paid virtually no corporation tax in Zambia between 2007 and 2012.