Richest people in East Anglia on Sunday Times Rich List 2024

With a net worth of £20.8bn, Sir James Dyson is the richest person in the East of England and the fifth richest person in the UK, according to this year’s edition of The Sunday Times Rich List published today.

Dyson, who was born in Cromer, is an entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for inventing the bagless vacuum cleaner.

Sir James Dyson, born in Cromer, is the fifth richest person in the UK (Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)Ed Sheeran, of Framlingham in Suffolk, remains the richest young musician in the UK and the richest person under 40 in the region, with a wealth of £340m.

The singer recently paid himself £62m for the first half of his Mathematics world tour.

The Earl of Iveagh, who is the owner of the Elveden Hall estate on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk border, is the 179th richest person in the UK with a net worth of £916m. 

Earl of Iveagh at Elveden (Image: Newsquest)

The Earl, whose family founded the Guinness brewery, saw his net worth drop £67m since last year.

The list also saw King Charles' wealth increase by £10m to £610m as he inherited family estates such as Sandringham from his late mother, The Queen. 

This year’s list of 350 individuals and families holds a combined wealth of £795.361bn.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk on February 4, 2024 (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)The 76-page special edition of The Sunday Times Magazine reveals the largest fall in the billionaire count in the guide’s 36-year history, from a peak of 177 in 2022 to 165 this year.

Robert Watts, compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List, said: “This year’s Sunday Times Rich List suggests Britain’s billionaire boom has come to an end.

"Many of our home-grown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes fall and some of the global super-rich who came here are moving away.

The five wealthiest people in the East of England according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2024 (Image: The Sunday Times) 
“These may be harder times to create wealth but The Sunday Times Rich List continues to unearth entrepreneurs building fortunes in diverse and often surprising ways.

"This year’s new entries include people who have made money from artificial intelligence and virtual worlds as well as plumbing supplies and teaching aides."