Selfridges’ Weston Family, François-Henri Pinault Top London Rich List

LONDON – The Weston family, whose holdings include Selfridges, Holt Renfrew and Fortnum & Mason saw their wealth rise by 470 million pounds to 11 billion pounds over the past year, making them the 10^th richest family in the U.K., according to an annual ranking by The Sunday Times of London.

The ranking was published one month after the death of one of the family’s patriarchs W. Galen Weston. Weston died in April, aged 80, after a long illness.

He sat at the helm of Selfridges Group, comprising Selfridges in the U.K., Brown Thomas and Arnotts in Ireland, De Bijenkorf in the Netherlands and Holt Renfrew in Canada.

Although the family’s wealth increased in 2021, the Westons, who also own Associated British Foods, parent of Primark, actually slipped down the ranking over the past year with a host of other business magnates muscling into the top slots.

The Ukranian multi-billionaire Leonard Blavatnik, ranked at number one for the second, non-consecutive year after taking the top slot in 2015. The music, media and industry tycoon, saw his fortune increase over the past year following the Warner Music IPO. His fortune rose to 23 billion pounds, up 7.22 billion pounds compared with 2020.

The name Blavatnik will be familiar to art lovers in the U.K. and internationally: Tate Modern has a new Blavatnik building where fashion shows and presentations are frequently held. The billionaire has also donated 10 million pounds to the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, bankrolling one-fifth of the school and galleries renovation project. The six new galleries will be known as the Blavatinik Fine Rooms at the institute’s historic site on The Strand in London.

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