The family behind the world’s best-selling single malt whisky and oil and gas industry stalwart Sir Ian Wood are among a record nine billionaires on a new “rich list” of Scotland’s wealthiest people.
The Grant/Gordon family – whose Dufftown-based business William Grant and Sons makes top-ranked single malt Glenfiddich – has kept its place at the helm of the latest Sunday Times rich list for Scotland, thanks to a £1.9billion fortune.
Despite leading the ranks of Scotland’s wealthy, the family is only 48th on a UK list headed by Ukraine-born businessman Len Blavatnik after the 1,000 richest people in Britain saw their combined wealth rocket to a record £547billion.
Sir Ian, former chairman and chief executive of Aberdeen-based energy service giant Wood Group, is third on the Scottish list and 70th overall with a family fortune of £1.32billion.
He still needs to add another £285million to catch up with Mahdi al-Tajir, head of the Highland Spring mineral water firm, who is worth £1.67billion.
Other Scottish billionaires include the Thomson family, whose Dundee-based media business DC Thomson publishes newspapers, magazines and books and has diversified into new media, digital technology, retail, radio and television through investment interests. The Thomsons are worth £1.27billion.
Buckie-born businessman Trond Mohn and his sister, Marit Mohn Westlake, are valued at £1.2billion.
Outside the billionaire bracket but still high up the Scottish rankings is north-east businessman Ian Suttie, whose interests include North Sea oil and gas producer First Oil. His personal fortune is down by £100million from a year ago, at £350million, following the global slump in oil prices.
Steven Ferguson is 22nd on the Scottish list at £250million after he sold Kintore-based Ferguson Group, which had built from a small North Sea container firm into an international offshore supply business, for £320million.
Tom Cross, chief executive of Aberdeen-based oil and gas firm Parkmead Group is just inside the UK top 100 on £165million.
Douglas Craig, chairman and managing director of Aberdeen shipping and energy services firm Craig Group is at 626th with a family fortune of £158million.
Pete Cashmore, the Banchory-born founder of website Mashable, is valued at £150million and north-east housebuilder and Aberdeen FC chairman Stewart Milne and his family are said to be worth £136million.
John Ray, the firmer chairman and co-owner of energy service group RBG, is valued at £130million and Alasdair Locke, who netted more than £140million from share deals and the sale of Aberdeen-based Abbot Group – now KCA Deutag – is estimated to be worth £125million.
The Fochabers-based Baxters soup business has helped Audrey Baxter and her family to amass a £110million fortune. She shares her UK ranking of 856th with Mike Loggie, the owner of Portlethen oil service company Saltire Energy.