Beauty founders join The Sunday Times Rich List

Two beauty entrepreneurs have secured a place among Britain’s wealthiest business leaders in the The Sunday Times Rich List 2026 40 Under 40 list.

Vishal Karia, founder of Affinity Fragrances, ranks number 34 on the list with an estimated wealth of £122 million.

Meanwhile, Tropic Skincare founder Susie Ma, who came third on the BBC’s The Apprentice in 2011 but still managed to secure investment from Alan Sugar, makes number 40 with an estimated wealth of £100 million.

Robert Watts, compiler of The Sunday Times Rich List, said: “The diversity of our 40 Under 40 list is striking. There are some with PhDs, others who left school with grades they'd rather forget. There are overnight success stories who quickly built businesses worth £1 billion, while others quietly toiled away, paying themselves minimum wage salaries for years before striking gold.

“These digital-native entrepreneurs grew up in an age when launching a business became easier. Many of their companies were started with limited cash - often little more than a phone, a laptop and a good idea.”

This year’s 40 Under 40 list not only showcases British talent across beauty, business and technology, but also music, with Ed Sheeran at 14 (£410 million), Harry Styles at 23 (£235 million), Adele at 28 (£172 million) and Dua Lipa at 32 (£150 million).

Additionally, as one would expect, sporting success stories feature heavily on this year’s list, including golfer Rory McIlroy at number 17 (£325 million), heavyweight boxers Anthony Joshua (at 22 with £240 million) and Tyson Fury (at 29 with £162 million), and England and Bayern Munich footballer Harry Kane - who is joint 36th with tennis great Sir Andy Murray (also a shareholder in Castore) - worth an estimated £110 million apiece.

Overall, this year’s 40 Under 40 richest list is once again topped by the Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor (who is also at number 18 in the main Sunday Times Rich List), who inherited his title and a vast land and property portfolio at the age of 25 and is now 35. He oversees holdings spanning 12 countries and is valued at nearly £10 billion.

The 40 Under 40 list forms part of a 76-page special edition of The Sunday Times Magazine, which reveals the wealth of the 350 richest individuals and families in Britain.