Jim Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe's fortune has grown by £8 billion since last year, making him the first British-born industrialist to reach the top of the list of richest people in the UK. Jim Ratcliffe's is the quintessential rags-to-riches tale. He was born and raised on the outskirts of Manchester. From his parents' council house, he used to count the number of chimneys he could see. The Sunday Times reports on this.

Ineos, one of the world's largest chemical firms, was created by him and is presently operated by him. He also has yachts and sizable real estate holdings, including a massive house in remote northeast Iceland that he purchased in December. Ratcliffe stated he was surprised by his company's progress in an interview with The Sunday Times that was published today. "Absolutely," he stated. "Here's a picture of the council house where I first started."

Net worth: $8 Billion