The Sunday Times Rich List 2019: The Beerage
I don’t think the Sunday Times Rich List published on 12th May would pass the test of robust and rigorous research. Its probably better described as a bit of journalistic fun that gets a good deal of media attention.
In 2019 there was a focus on donations to political parties from the wealthy (unsurprisingly none to Labour) and the gap it underlines between rich and poor in society.
I had a look through for members of the ‘Beerage’ (wealthy people associated with beer). I don’t reference below the several that have attained wealth through gin and whisky.
There aren’t that many but given my first para this isn’t hugely surprising. This isn’t an attempt to find out how many people have got seriously rich through beer. Rather it is a list of the seriously rich who are in the public eye who have got seriously rich through beer which is not quite the same thing.
This means that the list is idiosyncratic
Charlene De Carvalho-Heineken is at the top. She is 7th on the rich list with a wealth of £12bn up from £11.1bn in 2018. So, er, cheers.
Next at 55 are Alejandro Santo Domingo and Lady Charlotte Wellesley. The latter is a descendant of Queen Victoria which may interest Perry Anderson and Marxists reading this. The former however was instrumental in selling SAB Miller to ABInBev. He still has 1.7% holding which is worth £1.63bn and their overall wealth is valued at £2.835bn.
Others are well down the list
Brewdog’s Martin Dickie is worth £228m and is 529th though the ST believe the current valuation of Brewdog is over the top. James Watt by contrast has £262m and is at 475 on the list
Tim Martin of Spoons is at 310 on the list and is worth £437m which is £11m down on 2018. Perhaps collecting tins on the bar then?
David McMullen and family, the Hertford brewers are at 694 and worth £173m which does beg the question why at least some other regional brewers don’t feature.
Meanwhile the Earl of Iveagh (Ned to you) and the Guinness Family are 152nd on the list with a wealth of £973m
It appears from this that there is money in beer, brewing and pub ownership at least for some seriously wealthy individuals
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