Jamie Oliver falls off Sunday Times Rich List

Chart-topping chef and food writer Jamie Oliver has fallen off the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time in eight years.

The list, published annually, features the 1,000 wealthiest individuals and families in the UK, based on public information. Oliver, who announced the closure of 12 of his Jamie’s Italian restaurants in January, did not appear on the list first the first time since his debut in 2010. Court documents showed his restaurant business had debts of £71.5m after overexpanding, according to the Sunday Times.

The UK’s wealthiest author JK Rowling is 34th on the list, down from 32nd position last year, although her worth has increased £50m to £700m, thanks to her novels and films.

Three other authors make an appearance: Barbara Taylor Bradford (in 744th position, worth £157m), Lord Archer (772nd, £150m) and E L James (934th, £122m).

Other figures who made money from books include Viscount Cowdray and the Pearson family, in 511th position with a worth of £238m, whilst Nigel Blackwell and family of Blackwell's are in 620th place with £195m. Fanny Vlamynck, the widow of Tintin creator Hergé, is in joint 636th place with her husband Nick Rodwell, for their management of the Tintin estate. They are worth £189m.

A new entry this year is Jonathan Little and family, whose Little Group business includes wholesaler Gardners and supplies books, e-books and music to shops libraries and schools, is worth £131m, placing them in 881st position. Little Group’s profits more than doubled to £17.2m in 2016-17, according to the Sunday Times.

The businessman at the top of the list this year is Jim Ratcliffe, who set up chemicals company Ineos and has wealth calculated at £21.05bn. The combined fortune of the wealthiest 1,000 is £724bn, up 10% on last year’s record of £658bn.