Greek Cypriots outnumber Greeks by two to one in this year’s Sunday Times ‘Rich List’, a list of the thousand richest people in Britain, which was published on Sunday.
And a large proportion of them seem to have made most of their money in real estate.
A total of eight Greek Cypriots were identified, compared with 4 Greeks.
Top of the list was steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal with net worth of GBP 14.9 bln, followed by oil and industry tycoon Roman Abramovich, with net worth of GBP 10.8 bln.
Michael Lemos, 50 years old, and from a shipowning family which has diversified into the real estate business, was placed 45th, with net worth of GBP 1.1 bln, remaining steady at last year’s worth when he entered the Rich List in 36th.
Lemos is followed by Greek Cypriot Chris Lazari, 59, worth GBP 1.011 bln, who is in 53rd place, up from 64th with GBP 701 mln last year. He began in the clothes business but in the middle of the 1970s expanded into real estate, family-controlled Lazari Investments.
John Christodoulou, 40 years old, worth GBP 750 mln, also in real estate, is a newcomer at 75th. His group of companies called Yianis is thought to be the second largest investor in the new Canary Wharf development that includes the Four Seasons.
Greek Cypriot Stelios Hadjioannou, 39, founder of EasyJet among others, worth GBP 727 mln, is in 80th place, up from 104th and GBP 480 mln last year.
Andreas Panayiotou, 40, worth GBP 725 mln is in 81st place. Panayiotou is in real estate, air transport and the group of companies Ability.
John Goulandris, 77, from a shipping family remains in 192nd place worth GBP 300 mln, up by GBP 50 mln from last year’s list.
Elena Ambrosiadou, 47, from Thessaloniki, founder of the Ikos Hedge Fund in 1992, is a newcomer to the Rich List worth GBP 200 mln and placed 295th.
Antonis Gerolemou and family worth GBP 175 mln is in 332nd place. He founded Katsouris Fresh Foods in 1993.
Thoe Paphitis, 46, with GBP 125 mln with business in stationery (Ryman) and lingerie (La Senza) is best known as the owner of Millwall football club. He is in 444th place, shedding GBP 10 mln in worth from last year and dropping from last year’s ranking at 343rd.
Others include investor Nicholas Roditi GBP 110 mln in 551th place (up from GBP 80 mln, 607th); brothers Stephanos and Stelios Stephanou in the construction and property sectors, unchanged with GBP 66 mln in 876th place; and singer George Michael, whose worth has increased by a mere million to GBP 66 mln to just about make the list in 999th place.
