The green rich list

After banking hundreds of millions from playing the property market, selling lads' mags and helping a loss-making sports equipment maker get back into the black, some of Britain's richest citizens are ploughing their cash back into the land.

Vincent Tchenguiz, the Iranian-born property magnate, has said he sees scope to build a [pound]5bn business by helping arms and aerospace companies to go green.

Paul Sykes, the property tycoon, is dipping into his [pound]520m fortune to fund a charity dedicated to conserving rainforests and preserving wildlife. The publishing magnate Felix Dennis is turning tree-hugger by spending the proceeds of selling part of his magazine empire to plant a "Forest of Dennis".

And Johan Eliasch, who turned round the ailing Head sport equipment group, has snapped up a corner of the equatorial rainforest the size of Greater London in order to stop illegal logging.

The organic food revolution has attracted the attention of the former Formula 1 champion Jody Scheckter, who runs Britain's biggest organic farm. Peter Kindersley, who used to run the Dorling Kindersley publishing group, has also spotted the moneymaking potential of farming without pesticides.

This year's Sunday Times Rich List, published today, shows that the very wealthy are embracing green causes in increasing numbers. But barely any of the multi-millionaires featured have made their fortunes from going green.

Green movers and shakers

1 Vincent Tchenguiz

How much is he worth? [pound]850m, along with his brother, Robert.

What made him rich? Property.

Green rating? Dirty olive green.

How is he salving his conscience? Turning arms and aerospace firms green.

2 Felix Dennis

How much is he worth? [pound]750m.

What made him rich? Publishing empire.

Green rating? Forest green.

How is he salving his conscience? Growing forest in the Midlands.

3 Prince Charles

How much is he worth? [pound]550m.

What made him rich? Birth. Because he is barred from trading his assets he does not feature in the Rich List.

Green rating? Bright green.

How is he salving his conscience? Organic farming.

4 Paul Sykes

How much is he worth? [pound]520m.

What made him rich? Bricks and mortar.

Green rating? Fir-tree green.

How is he salving his conscience? Channelling cash into forestry, conservation and wildlife habitat preservation.

5 Johan Eliasch

How much is he worth? [pound]360m.

What made him rich? Putting the Austrian sports equipment group Head back on the map.

Green rating? Rainforest green.

How is he salving his conscience? Buying Amazonian rainforest to stop illegal logging.

6 Nigel Doughty

How much is he worth? [pound]170m.

What made him rich? Doughty Hanson, a private equity firm.

Green rating? Lawn green.

How is he salving his conscience? Wind power.

7 Stanley Fink

How much is he worth? [pound]145m.

What made him rich? Ex-chief executive of Man Group, owns 1 per cent of [pound]10.5bn hedge fund.

Green rating? Greenback green.

How is he salving his conscience? Plans to make the world's biggest hedge fund carbon neutral.

8 Peter Kindersley

How much is he worth? [pound]80m.

What made him rich? Was head of Dorling Kindersley Publishing.

Green rating? Grass green.

How is he salving his conscience? Devoted to the organic cause.

9 Jody Scheckter

How much is he worth? [pound]80m.

What made him rich? Winning the F1 championship and firm he sold, Firearms Training Systems.

Green rating? Moss green.

How is he salving his conscience? Organic farming.

10 Dame Anita Roddick

How much is she worth? [pound]51m, although you can double that if you include husband Gordon.

What made her rich? The Body Shop.

Green rating? Bottle green.

How is she salving her conscience? Giving away the family fortune via the Roddick Foundation.

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