Inventor Sir James Dyson is the richest person in the UK for the first time, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

The entrepreneur saw his wealth grow by £3.6 billion over the past year, climbing to £16.2 billion.

His firm employs 4,500 people in Malmesbury.

In February, it was expected the number of billionaires would rise to nearly 160, but it fell by four to 147 as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, the Sunday Times said.

A record 25 female billionaires make the list, which also shows the overall wealth of the 1,000 richest people in the UK is down by £29 billion on last year.

The top 10 for 2020 are:

– Sir James Dyson and family, household goods and technology, £16.2 billion.

– Sri and Gopi Hinduja and family, industry and finance, £16 billion.

– David and Simon Reuben, property and internet, £16 billion.

– Sir Leonard Blavatnik, investment, music and media, £15.78 billion.

– Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos chemical giant, £12.15 billion.

– Kirsten and Jorn Rausing, inheritance and investment, £12.1 billion.

– Alisher Usmanov, mining and investment, £11.68 billion.

– Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family, retail, £10.53 billion

– Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho, inheritance, brewing and banking, £10.3 billion.

– The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family, property, £10.29 billion.

List compiler Robert Watts said: “Ever since the financial crisis of 2008/9, Britain’s wealthiest people have become richer and richer.

“Covid-19 has called time on their golden period. This year’s rich list paints a picture of Britain on the brink of calamity – two months after lockdown and already billions of pounds have been wiped out.

“You may not like the super-rich, but it is hard to deny that our econoy will need the jobs they create and the taxes they and their companies pay if we are to escape a prolonged recession that causes further misery to millions.”

The full list covering the wealthiest 1,000 people in the UK will be published on Sunday in a 136-page edition of The Sunday Times Magazine.