Rory McIlroy named in Sunday Times Rich List as Northern Ireland's wealthiest are revealed

The Holywood golfer’s fortune soared by £25m over the past year, meaning his wealth now stands at £225m, making him the richest person from Northern Ireland under the age of 40.

Lady Ballyedmond and family – owners of Norbrook Pharmaceuticals – have climbed from second to first place on the list with their £914 million fortune, despite their wealth falling by £136 million from last year.

Martin Naughton, who founded Glen Electric (now Glen Dimplex) Glen Dimplex in 1973, is in second place with a wealth of £850m.

Meanwhile 2023’s winner, Stephen Fitzpatrick, who is the co-founder of Ovo Energy, fell two places to third, with his wealth of £834 million - down from £1.378 billion last year.

Robert and William Barnett and family, of food distribution and packaging business W&R Barnett, are fourth richest in Northern Ireland, according to the list, with a wealth of £645m – up £120m.

In fifth place, according to the list which is published online at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/sunday-times-rich-list and in the print edition of the newspaper on Sunday, May 19, is Michael Loughran and family of fuel distribution company LCC with a wealth of £604m, a rise of £104m.

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Robert Watts, compiler of the list, said: “This year’s Sunday Times Rich List suggests Britain’s billionaire boom has come to an end. Many of our home-grown entrepreneurs have seen their fortunes fall and some of the global super rich who came here are moving away.

"Thousands of British livelihoods rely on the super-rich to some extent. We’ll have to wait and see whether we have now reached peak billionaire, and what that means for our economy.

"These may be harder times to create wealth, but The Sunday Times Rich List continues to unearth entrepreneurs building fortunes in diverse and often surprising ways. This year’s new entries include people who have made money from artificial intelligence and virtual worlds as well as plumbing supplies and teaching aides.

"We know many of our readers find such people — especially those from humbler backgrounds — very inspiring.”