Council Tax 2007

It's rich list season again... the time of year when spurious (but fascinating) figures supposedly showing the total worth of the mega-rich are published.

While the sums might not be 100% accurate, it's generally accepted they're in the right ball park, give or take a few million.

This year's top ten of wealthiest British residents shows just what a mecca for super-rich foreigners the UK, and especially London, has become with only three of the top ten richest being born in Britain.

Some might argue it's our tolerant, hugely creative and relatively safe society that attract them to our shores.

Others, perhaps more cynically, would say it's the favourable tax regime which also allows individual's capital to be moved quite freely into the country and used to buy shares and houses.

And there are always those who say stop being so analytical, it's just a bit of fun.

Whatever the merits of such lists, their popularity and fascination for millions means they're here to stay, at least for the time being.

Below is a list of those at the top of the UK moolah league. Not all are household names and some need introducing...

Lakshami Mittal, an Indian citizen, sits at number one. He took up his father's steel business and is now the number one steel producer in the world.

He set a world record for the price of a home when he paid £70million to Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone's for his house in the hugely exclusive Kensington Palace Gardens.

Roman Abramovich is the most famous, and wealthiest, Russian in Britain, mainly thanks to his ownership of Chelsea FC.

The Duke of Westminster represents traditional, centuries old english inherited wealth based around land and property.

Indian brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja are business takeover kings, while Iranian born David Khalili moved to London in 1978 and now has a vast portfolio of property and art.

Hans Rausing, 81 and still going strong, was one of the original owners of the Tetra Pak brand.

Brits Philip and Lady Green have a retail empire which includes Top Shop and Bhs.

John Fredriksen is a Norwegian who made his money in shipping, owning the most tankers in the world.

Brothers David and Simon Reuben were born in Bombay and moved to London as teenagers. They made their fortune in Russia's metals trade.

Jim Ratcliffe, British, owns the world's third-largest chemicals company and grew his wealth after being involved in a management buyout of a BP offshoot in 1992.

Rank	Name	Age	Total wealth (in £s)
1	Lakshami	56	19.25bn
2	Roman Abramovich	40	10.8bn
3	Duke of Westminster	55	7bn
4	Gopi and Sri Hinduja	67, 71	6.2bn
5	David Khalili	61	5.8bn
6	Hans Rausing	81	5.4bn
7	Sir Philip Green	55	4.9bn
8	John Fredriksen	62	3.5bn
9	Simon and David Reuben	65, 68	3.49bn
10	Jim Ratcliffe	54	3.3bn

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