Rory McIlroy climbs Rich List leaderboard as NI's richest young person with £260m fortune
With Masters prize money of $4.2m (£3.5m) swelling the coffers, the 36-year-old now has a fortune of £260m, according to the annual list.
That makes him our richest person under 40 — and 19th on the list of the UK's wealthiest people under 40.
McIlroy's wealth has risen by £35m over the last year, the Sunday Times research said, a bigger jump than the £25m rise reported a year earlier.
Robert Watts, the compiler of The Sunday Times Rich List 2025, said: 'McIlroy earlier this year became the second golfer after Tiger Woods to have earned in excess of $100m (£75m) on the PGA Tour during his career.
"Since launching his career 15 years ago he has chalked up nearly 30 victories from more than 260 events on the tour.
"The bulk of McIlroy's fortune stems from sponsorship deals and other tie-ups with Nike, Omega and TaylorMade. He has also prospered from property in Dubai, New York and Florida.'
The news comes as McIlroy competes at the US PGA at the Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina.
'Dream come true' - Rory McIlroy finally completes grand slam with Masters win
Yet for all the riches sporting prowess can bring, the golfer, from Holywood in Co Down, can't gain entry to the big league of names from business who dominate the Northern Ireland Rich List.
At number one for another year are Lady Ballyedmond (77) and her family, with a wealth of £922m.
She is the widow of Lord Ballyedmond, who founded Newry veterinary pharmaceuticals firm Norbrook and was killed in a helicopter crash in 2014.
Their fortune from the family's continued ownership of Norbrook has gone up by £8m over the last year, the Sunday Times said.
The Naughtons, another family behind a business with roots in Newry, are at number two with their fortune of £825m. Patriarch Martin Naughton (86) founded the Glen Dimplex company in Newry in 1973, beginning with manufacturing oil-filled radiators.
Glen Dimplex underwent a radical restructuring which began in 2024, with the family's fortune declining by £25m. The Belfast Telegraph Top 100 Companies this week revealed that their company, Glen Electric, recorded the highest pre-tax profits in Northern Ireland of the last year at £468.6m.
The Rich List also reveals that the wealth of Belfast-based father and son Robert (80) and William Barnett (49) and their family climbed by £2m over the year to reach £647m, placing them at number three. Their family business, W&R Barnett, has interests ranging from commodity trading to agribusiness and industry.
The success of LCC Group in Cookstown, an energy supplier and owner of Go petrol stations, has given founder Michael Loughran (74) and his family a fortune of £530m — down from £604m the year before.
Eoin McCann (68) and the other family members behind the concrete company FP McCann Group in Magherafelt has the highest increase in wealth of the big hitters in Northern Ireland, according to the list. Their wealth grew by £51m over the year to a total of £462m in 2025.
Derek Keys (59), owner of Euro Auctions in Dromore, Co Tyrone, made it into the list for the first time with riches of £400m. Mr Keys' company carries out plant and machinery auction sales in the UK, Europe, Australia, Abu Dhabi, Canada and the US.
As well as revealing the wealth of the 350 richest people in Britain, the weekend's 76-page special edition of The Sunday Times Magazine also reveals The Sunday Times Giving List in association with the Charities Aid Foundation. It found that the 100 most philanthropic people on the list gave £3.7bn to charity.
But The Sunday Times said familiar names on the list had faced significant financial challenges.
This year's list of 350 individuals and families together hold a combined wealth of £772.8bn — 3% down on last year.
The minimum entry level had flatlined at £350m, which The Sunday Times said was 'another indicator of a subdued year'.
Mr Watts said: 'The Sunday Times Rich List is changing. Our billionaire count is down and the combined wealth of those who feature in our research is falling. We are also finding fewer of the world's super rich are coming to live in the UK.
'This year we were also struck by the strength of criticism for Rachel Reeves's Treasury. We expected the abolition of non-dom status would anger affluent people from overseas. But homegrown young tech entrepreneurs and those running centuries-old family firms are also warning of serious consequences to a range of tax changes unveiled in last October's budget.
'Our research continues to find a wide variety of self-made entrepreneurs building fortunes not just from artificial intelligence, video games and new technologies but also mundane, everyday items such as makeup, radiators and jogging bottoms.
"We know many of our readers find these people and their stories inspiring — especially the many who had tough starts or setbacks to their lives and careers.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
LIV Golf stars give their true thoughts about Phil Mickelson's behaviour
Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers GC team, consisting of Cameron Tringale, Brendan Steele and Andy Ogletree, all spoke to the media ahead of LIV Golf's return in Virginia When it comes to Phil Mickelson, you would be hard pressed to find anybody who has a negative opinion of him. The 54-year-old was at the centre of admiration as his LIV Golf team-mates heaped praise on his incredible career and enduring thirst for knowledge. During a press event for the upcoming Saudi-backed series in Virginia, Mickelson's HyFlyers GC squad waxed lyrical about him. His team members, including Cameron Tringale, Brendan Steele and Andy Ogletree, all stepped up to the mic to speak with media representatives. Questions naturally gravitated towards six-time major winner Mickelson, particularly after he hinted that the upcoming US Open could be his last at Oakmont Country Club, a venue where he's notoriously finished as a runner-up six times. Joaquin Neimann, who captains Torque GC, didn't hold back in lauding Mickelson's relentless drive for self-improvement despite an already monumental career. "He wants to learn," the Chilean golf star said. "He has a lot of information between his church book at the Masters. He was making me hit putts from all over the place, 'know this, remember this'. I know he's that way and he works that way, and he thinks that he will get better that way." When asked to evaluate the legacy of 'Lefty', Mickelson's team-mates Steele, Tringale and Ogletree paid a heartfelt tribute to their captain, unanimously praising his work ethic, selflessness and generosity. Steele, 42, sang Mickelson's praises, saying: "From the first time that I met him through to this very day, it's really incredible. It's infectious. He's always helped me a ton on and off the golf course. "I just never see the guy slow down. He is just an incredible player. The longevity that he's had, how strong he is still, how far he hits it, how hard he works. Everything that he does still is really incredible. Just a model for me to follow after." Tringale, 37, echoed Steele's sentiments, saying: "I think we all have tremendous respect for Phil. With what he's done in the game, and I can say personally just from the last couple years, off the golf course. "Phil is one of the best people I know. He's selfless. When you interact with him, it's meaningful. I think it's authentic. "I think the way people feel, the way I feel when I leave an engagement with Phil is always better. I think that's something a lot of people don't know unless they've been lucky enough to have an encounter with Phil." At the age of 27, Ogletree couldn't be more elated about having the chance to tap into Mickelson's wisdom. The young American golfer expressed his immense appreciation for Mickelson's mentorship, saying: "Getting to know Phil personally has been an amazing experience. "There's not a time that goes by where he's not reaching out and asking how everything is going. He's very involved, as involved as we want him to be with any question that we might ask. "I feel very comfortable asking Phil anything from golf to life to anything, and he's been very generous with his time and helping me with my swing and with my short game and with anything that I might want to ask him. "For that, I'm just truly grateful. To be able to pick the brain of one of the greatest of all time is a really cool thing to be able to do."
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Phil Mickelson is brutally honest as he makes US Open retirement admission
Phil Mickelson is running out of time to win the US Open and complete the career Grand Slam, with the 54-year-old admitting that this could be his final appearance at the major Phil Mickelson could be taking part in his last US Open this year, having acknowledged that this might be his final trip to Oakmont, with his exemption nearing its end. The 54-year-old made history in 2021 by becoming the oldest golfer to capture a major title when he won the PGA Championship. However, his form has dipped since leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022. Determined to secure a US Open title and complete a career grand slam, Mickelson knows the clock is ticking. The seasoned pro has claimed three victories at the Masters, holds two PGA Championship titles, and lifted The Open Championship trophy in 2013. But after suggesting uncertainty about his long-term involvement with LIV, Mickelson also acknowledged that this year's US Open may mark his swansong at the event. The 125th US Open begins on June 12, and in the lead-up to the season's third major, the American shared some thoughts about what lies ahead. "I haven't thought about it too much," he said, via Mirror US. "There's a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven't really thought about it too much." Mickelson has long pursued a US Open title, the one missing piece in his otherwise complete major resume. Capturing it would make him the seventh man in history to claim all four majors. Earlier this year, Rory McIlroy became the sixth to achieve that feat by winning the Masters. Despite numerous strong performances, the US Open has repeatedly eluded Mickelson - he's finished runner-up an incredible six times. This event remains the pinnacle of his ambitions, but with his exemption expiring after this tournament, qualifying in the future may be far more difficult. In 2021, Mickelson said: "Winning the US Open has been a lifelong and elusive dream, and I've come close so many times. You can't win if you don't play." In 2022, he made a bold declaration about his career prospects: "If I win the US Open, I will retire," Mickelson told Golf Digest. "That would be my last tournament. I will have achieved the career Grand Slam and I won't have anything more to prove." Unfortunately, his chances may be fading. As a LIV participant, Mickelson can no longer collect Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, a key route to qualifying for majors. One of the primary paths to entry is being in the top 60 of the OWGR, but with no ranking points from LIV events, his position continues to drop. His 2021 PGA Championship win earned him a five-year exemption, but another major victory would be required to extend that leeway. Though Mickelson's spot in the US Open remains in question, he has also alluded to a broader end to his competitive career. His deal with LIV ends this year, and according to biographer Alan Shipnuck, his next move might transition him into a leadership role, possibly off the course. The HyFlyers captain addressed his dip in performance before the 2025 season began, saying: "I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me being where I expect to be able to compete at this level. But I'm also realistic with myself, and if I'm not able to I'll step aside and let somebody come on in, and take the HyFlyers to new levels. "I'm in every major on the regular tour next year, and I'll be in three of the four majors for the next six, seven years. I would love to compete and give myself a chance to win in those. I also want to build this out and create a culture that is sustainable and that people strive to be a part of. "How I do that, whether it's internally as a player and so forth, or whether it's strictly from the outside, I'm going to be intricately involved with the HyFlyers going forward probably the rest of my life, and then my playing career I'll be realistic where I'm at, too."
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘I don't give a s*** what people think' – Scots golf star in foul-mouthed blast at on-course critics
ROBERT MACINTYRE is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve - and many love him for it. For some, it just rubs them up the wrong way. But MacIntyre? He couldn't care LESS what they think. Advertisement 2 Robert MacIntyre is defending his Canadian Open title this week Credit: Reuters 2 And the Ryder Cup hopeful has had a few choice words for his critics Credit: Getty The Scots golf star is defending his Canadian Open title on the PGA Tour this week. MacIntyre, 28, won the tournament last year in emotional style with his father Dougie drafted in as his emergency caddie. The victory was the Oban lefty's first on the elite circuit but it wasn't a straightforward one. Minus the last minute caddie switch, MacIntyre also lost his cool somewhat at a drone that flew over his head before taking a shot. Advertisement MacIntyre isn't one to hide his feelings and on other occasions in his career he's been caught swearing on camera whilst playing. And he infamously called for the iconic 17th hole at St Andrews (the Road Hole) to be "blown up" - which led to fellow pro Eddie Pepperell labelling him as "whiney". Ahead of this title defence, MacIntyre was asked about those who think he is perhaps too passionate and should do more to keep his emotions in check. He responded: "Most of time I don't give a s*** about what's going on. Advertisement "I really don't care about other people's opinions, to be honest with you. "If you're not part of my team, not part of the inner circle, your opinion really doesn't matter to me. "I think that's a massive thing, especially in the sport we play. I think it helps when you're trying to move forward, you're trying to dissect every part of the game to try and get better. "If you take too many opinions in that really aren't trying to help you, then, yeah, it doesn't help at all. Advertisement I think something I like is I don't really care about what others think outside of my team and my friends or my family." This year the Canadian Open is taking place TPC Toronto, as opposed to Hamilton Golf and Country Club where MacIntyre won last year. And while the venue for the event has changed, MacIntyre has still felt a warmth from the Canadian fans - even though he denied them a home winner 12 months ago. "Last year it was special, but to come back to a place that I've got fond memories of, obviously it's a different golf course, but as a place, as a country, with the fans as well. Advertisement "The support I got was unbelievable, all the way until Sunday afternoon when they were obviously wanting a Canadian (MacKenzie Hughes) to win!" Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
