About half of these success stories are self-made, often having sprung from humble starts.
That includes Meadowhall developer Paul Sykes and DFS boss Graham Kirkham. And it includes the 40-something bosses of Twinkl, who are the top of the cash pile in Sheffield.
The rich, for our purposes, include those who are working in a business they either started themselves or inherited. We also include those still living in the area who have recently sold their main businesses but retain interests in other ventures.
We valued stakes in quoted companies in September 2024 according to prices prevailing in the Financial Times.
Private companies were valued according to the ratios in their sectors or more generally where a sector rating was not evident, at around ten times their latest profit figures, which in many cases is more conservative than the stock market ratings.
We deduct appropriate sums from dividends and company sales to reflect tax unless we are aware someone is not domiciled in the UK for tax.
Here’s a list of South Yorkshire’s richest people in business.
5. Doug Gregory and family - £273m
Gregory made an estimated extra 66m, compared to last year. This year he also sold a controlling stake in Barnsley-based group, Symphony, the furniture business he founded in 1971. It specialises in making kitchens, bathrooms, cupboards and other pieces for hotels, developers and retailers including Laura Ashley. Details of the sale to Northern Ireland-based conglomerate R Barnett were not made public, but with revenues of £320m in the year leading up to the deal, it is unlikely that the transaction valued Symphony at less than £250m. | Google
6. Chris Rea: £381m
Rea made an extra 37m on last year. He recently said there is no piece of industrial equipment in the world his engineering firm cannot help make more reliable. Rotherham-based AES specialises in sealing devices used in pumps for largely the petrochemical, pharma and paper industries. “My new factory is my yacht and the machines inside it are my Ferraris,” Rea has said. Higher profits of £59m on rising revenues suggest the component manufacturer is easily worth £550m now. | Chris Etchells
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7. Terry Bramall: £428m
Bramall and his wife Liz have maintained their fortune this year. Bramall’s fortune stems from Keepmoat, a construction company set up by Terry’s father. The Bramalls are long considered to be among the region’s most prolific philanthropists. Over the past year their foundation has given more than £8m to worthy causes, including hospices, the NSPCC and arts projects. And they own Doncaster Rovers football club. | NationalWorld
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8. Jon and Susie Seaton: £500m
Up £10 million this year, their Sheffield-based Twinkl has continued to grow. Twinkl now provides teaching aides in 85 languages and 200 countries around the world. The sale of a 40 percent stake to a private-equity firm in 2023 put a £500m valuation on the Sheffield-based business. The Seatons are now considering launching educational resources for adults who struggled to secure qualifications while at school. | NationalWorld