Yorkshire Rich List 2025: Yorkshire's richest billionaires according to Forbes - and the stories behind them

• Yorkshire is home to some of the UK’s wealthiest billionaires
• Two entrepreneurs from the region have risen to the top, making significant strides in global industries
• One built a multi-billion-dollar chemicals giant, expanding into shale gas and petrochemicals
• The other played a key role in growing a home furnishings retailer that now operates across the UK

Yorkshire, known for its rich industrial history and beautiful landscapes, is also home to some of the UK's wealthiest individuals.

But who are the region's richest billionaires, the entrepreneurs and business moguls who have risen to the top?

We’ve trawled Forbes' real-time billionaires list and picked out the richest people born in the region.

Only a couple of Yorkshire-born individuals make the list, but what’s the story behind the paths to success for these billionaires?

Andrew Currie - $5.2bn

Doncaster born - and Yorkshire’s richest man - Andrew Currie has been a director at Ineos, the £68 billion chemicals giant, since 1999, a year after the company was founded by fellow billionaire James Ratcliffe.

A graduate in natural sciences from Cambridge University, Currie began his career at BP Chemicals, where he spent 15 years in various technical and managerial roles.

He later became a director at Inspec Group, the parent company of Ineos, until its acquisition by another chemicals firm in 1998.

Ineos has since become a major force in the UK's shale sector, with its 600-foot "Dragon Ships" pioneering the transport of US shale gas to Europe.

In 2021, the company acquired two chemicals businesses from BP for $5 billion and entered into petrochemical joint ventures with Sinopec, valued at over $7 billion in 2022.

Ineos further expanded in 2023 with the $1.4 billion acquisition of U.S. onshore oil and gas assets from Chesapeake Energy. Currie’s wealth comes from his minority stake in Ineos.

Will Adderley - $1.8bn

Leeds-born Will Adderley is the son of Bill and Jean Adderley, who founded the UK home furnishings retailer Dunelm. The couple launched the business in 1979 with a market stall in Leicester.

Dunelm went public on the London Stock Exchange in 2006, with the Adderleys retaining a 43% stake in the company. Will, now serving as the company’s deputy chairman, has played an integral role in its growth.

Today, Dunelm operates nearly 200 stores across the UK, cementing its place as a leading retailer in the home furnishings sector.

What do you think of these incredible success stories from Yorkshire’s wealthiest billionaires? Have any insights or thoughts on how they built their empires? We’d love to hear your opinions! Share your thoughts in the comments section.