News Flash – 2022 Sunday Times Rich List

June 2022

The 2022 Sunday Times Rich list came out on Sunday the 22^nd May. This essential reading for all of us involved in major gift fundraising brings a few surprises. As with 2021, we are down to the top 250 rather than the top 1000 wealthiest which is a shame, but the insight it gives on the patterns of wealth accumulation can help us all with pointers as to others outside of the Rich list that may be open to (and capable of) engagement with philanthropy.

 

A few headlines:

 

• Number 1 on the Rich List this year are Sri and Gopi Hinduja, with an estimated wealth of £28.472 billion record wealth for a family, or individual in Rich List history.

 

• The wealth of the super-rich is growing at speed. Their combined fortunes have grown by 8% to a record £710 billion in just 12 months

 

• There are now 177 UK billionaires – 6 more than in 2021.

 

• Rishi Sunak is the first political figure to feature in the Rich list, coming in at number 222 with net worth of £730m.

 

• To be considered the UK Rich List, someone must either be UK-born, hold British citizenship, reside here, or have “substantial” asset wealth tied up in Britain. This year just 38% of those in the top 250 are UK born – down from 45% in 2012.

 

• The Giving List is again a feature. Higher education is the top recipient. But interestingly this year there is more eco-giving than ever before.

 

• More than £2.4 billion was gifted by the 100 leading philanthropists, with 7 giving away more than £100m in the past year, 38 more than £10m and 95 at least £1m.

 

• With increasing focus on EDI in philanthropy, it’s encouraging to see that a young Egyptian and two black philanthropists are in the top dozen places in the 2022 Giving List, namely Mo Salah, Stormzy and Lewis Hamilton.

 

As always, the PFG team will be taking an in-depth look at this list to see what lessons we can draw to help our clients find their best major gift prospects. Our July webinar will bring in some more of the key messages and look at how you can apply these to your prospecting.