Former Tory politician takes top spot on county's rich list
Former Conservative politician Michael Heseltine has taken the top spot as Northamptonshire's richest person.
According to the Sunday Time Rich List, which is due to be published tomorrow, the former deputy Prime Minister increased his wealth by 50 million in the past year.
His 250 million fortune makes him Northamptonshire's richest man, but only the 325th richest in the country.
The resident of Thenford in South Northamptonshire is chairman of the Haymarket Publishing group, which publishes a range of magazines including Autosport, football magazine Four Four Two and gadget magazine Stuff.
Discussing the company he said: "Haymarket is a very dynamic, expert and independent publishing company with a very wide range of high quality business and consumer titles.
"We see ourselves as a family business. We're 50 years old now and our interest is expanding the expertise we've built up in the UK into a global market."
Mr Hesletine also has a 1,200 acre farm near Banbury.
He has taken over the top spot as Northamptonshire's richest man from Tony Travis of Northampton-based builders merchants Travis Perkins.
He was ranked 225th in the 2007 rich list with a fortune of 340 million. But the latest list puts him at 428th in the country with an estate worth 198 million.
Other Northamptonshire residents included in the Rich List include Leon Max, the Russian millionaire who bought Lord Hesketh's family home of Easton Neston near Towcester for about 15 million in 2005.
He also fell down the Rich List to 525th place from 467th last year despite his 150 million fortune remaining the same.
The former owner of Weetabix, Sir Richard George was at the exact same level as Mr Max, also with a fortune of 150 million.
So far, only the top 20 residents in the East Midlands have been published so it is not yet known where Althorp resident Earl Spencer will appear in the table.
The Sunday Time has said it now takes a fortune of at least 80 million to make it into the top 1,000.
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Man dies following motorway smash on Northamptonshire border
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- Huge cigarette haul by masked burglars in armed raids at Northampton stores
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- BREAKING NEWS: Police name man killed in crash on motorway in Northamptonshire
- BREAKING NEWS: Fishmarket art gallery offered new home
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- New manager of Northampton’s Grosvenor Centre says ‘This is the beginning of a new era’
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- Neighbours raise concern about bid to build new house three inches from their home
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
