The United Kingdom has seen a remarkable rise of female billionaires and millionaires in recent years, shattering long-held glass ceilings in various industries.
From entrepreneurs and retail magnates to savvy investors and inherited wealth, these powerful women have amassed staggering fortunes making them the top 5 richest women in the UK.
In this blog, we delve into who the UK's richest women are, their paths to success and the empires they've built to become UK billionaires:
1. Denise Coates is currently the richest woman in the UK
Net worth: GBP 6.8 billion
Location: Stoke-on-Trent
Known as: Co-CEO of an Online gambling company
Coates is co-CEO of Bet365 which is one of the world’s largest online gambling companies.
She first trained as an accountant, then she took over ownership of some of her family’s betting shops, then she sold these shops to Bookmarker Coral, which is now a chain of betting shops within the UK.
After seeing the successes of online gambling businesses, she brought the web domain Bet365.com in 2000 and launched the website in 2001.
Coates owns approximately half of the privately held Bet365, which facilitates more than £52 billion in bets every year.
2. Leonie Schroder is also a female UK billionaire
Net worth: GBP 4.6 billion
Location: Hampshire
Known as: Board Member at Schroders PLC
British billionaire heiress, and the daughter of the late Bruno Schroder of the Schroders dynasty. After his death in March 2019, she took over his seat on the board of directors.
She manages £750 billion in assets through her role.
Prior to Schroder joining the board, her career was focused on the family’s philanthropic efforts as a director of the Schroder Charity Trust. Which makes around £500,000 of grants each year to smaller charities.
3. Maritsa Lazari is the UK's 3rd richest woman
Net worth: GBP 2.2 billion
Location: London
Known as: Cofounder of Real Estate business Lazari Investments
Lazari is the widow of late billionaire Christos Lazari, who passed in 2015 just a few months before their 50th wedding anniversary.
Maritsa was a cofounder in creating the real estate business Lazari Investments and serves as a director. Her three children are also involved in the company.
Lazari Investments owns more than 3 million square feet of commercial real estate in London, mostly office space that it rents out.
4. Elisabeth Murdoch is one of the richest women in the UK
Net worth: GBP 1.1 billion
Location: London
Known as: Media Executive and Chairman
Murdoch founded the international television production and distribution company Shine Group in 2001.
In 2019 she founded another global production company called Sister and sits as the executive chairman of the company.
She is the daughter of Rupert Murdoch who is a business magnate, investor, and media proprietor.
In February 2013, Murdoch was assessed as the fifth most powerful woman in the United Kingdom by Woman’s Hour.
5. Cristina Green is a female UK billionaire, making her one of the richest women in the UK
Net worth: £960 million
Location: London
Known as: Fashion and retail businesswoman
Cristina Stuart Green, Lady Green or most known as Tina Green, Green is the director of Taveta, the majority owner of Taveta Investments Ltd, the parent company of the Arcadia Group of which her husband Sir Philip Green is chairman.
The once thriving business was subsequently forced to sell most of its best-known brands, including Topshop, Top Man and Dorothy Perkins, when it fell into bankruptcy during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Outside of Arcadia, the Greens own three yachts worth about $140 million and nearly $40 million of real estate that Cristina was found to have bought through offshore firms.
The Greens have been vilified in Britain for their role in letting home retailer BHS collapse, which put pensions for 19,000 workers at risk in 2016.