British billionaire list triples in decade

Sir Cameron Mackintosh is a new member of the billionaire club. Photo / AP

The number of billionaires living in Britain has risen to more than 100 for the first time.

Some 104 billionaires are now based in the UK - more than triple the number from a decade ago - with a combined wealth of more than 301 billion ($588 billion), according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

It means Britain has more billionaires per head of population than any other country, while London's total of 72 sterling billionaires is more than any other city in the world, the study found.

Indian-born brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja top the UK list with a fortune of 11.9 billion.

The London-based pair, who run the global conglomerate Hinduja Group, saw their wealth rise by 1.3 billion in the last year.

They replace Russian business magnate Alisher Usmanov after the Arsenal shareholder saw his fortune fall to 10.65 billion.

The richest Briton, the Duke of Westminster, is ranked 10th on the list after his fortune rose to 8.5 billion.

Last year, 88 billionaires were living in the UK, worth a total of more than 245 billion. In 2004, the number was 30, with a combined wealth of 65 billion.

Among the new members of the billionaire club is West End producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, who saw his fortune rise by 175 million in the last year and is now worth 1 billion.

Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley and Sir Richard Branson are also among the UK's top 25 wealthiest.

Seventy two billionaires are now based in London, compared with 48 sterling-equivalent billionaires in Moscow, 43 in New York, 42 in San Francisco, 38 in Los Angeles and 34 in Hong Kong.

- AAP