King Charles III's personal fortune has soared to £640 million, placing him £270 million ahead of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and tying him in wealth with former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty. The latest Sunday Times Rich List, released Friday, reveals the monarch's wealth increased by £30 million over the past year, despite ongoing treatment for cancer and a year marked by health-related absences.
At 76, King Charles now ranks joint 238th among the UK's 350 richest individuals and families, climbing 20 positions from his ranking last year. His net worth exceeds that of high-profile figures such as David and Victoria Beckham, whose combined wealth is estimated at £500 million.
Charles's fortune draws heavily from an investment portfolio he inherited from Queen Elizabeth II, in addition to personal estates such as Sandringham in Norfolk and Balmoral in Aberdeenshire. The Sunday Times list evaluates only personal wealth, excluding assets held in trust for the nation-such as the Crown Estate, the Duchy of Lancaster, and the Crown Jewels.
"As Prince of Wales, Charles received a private income of up to £23 million annually from the Duchy of Cornwall," the Sunday Times reported. That estate has since passed to Prince William following Charles's ascension to the throne in 2022.
The monarch's net gain comes amid broader financial shifts within the UK elite. The 2025 edition of the Sunday Times Rich List marks the third consecutive annual drop in the number of British billionaires and the steepest decline since the list began 37 years ago. The count of billionaires fell from 165 in 2024 to 156 this year, with analysts citing the non-dom tax crackdown by Chancellor Rachel Reeves as a contributing factor.
The list highlights both inherited and self-made wealth. At the top is Indian-born British industrialist Gopi Hinduja and his family, with a fortune estimated at £35 billion-down from £37 billion last year. Meanwhile, new entrants include Liverpool-based entrepreneurs Tom and Phil Beahon, founders of the sportswear brand Castore, now worth £350 million.
In another example of surging self-made wealth, Home Bargains founder Tom Morris has seen his fortune rise to nearly £7 billion, reinforcing his position as Liverpool's wealthiest resident and placing him 26th on the list.
The 76-page special edition of the Sunday Times magazine featuring the full Rich List reflects a volatile year for UK wealth as economic shifts and government policy continue to reshape the fortunes of even the nation's highest earners.
