The number of women on the Sunday Times Rich List has risen by nearly 50 per cent in 10 years, from 78 to 114, but most have inherited their vast wealth, share it with a partner or have been awarded it through divorce hearings
High profile divorces are bolstering the number of female multi-millionaires with the trend expected to continue as more wealthy couples square up in British courts this year.
The number of women on the Sunday Times Rich List has risen by nearly 50 per cent in 10 years, from 78 to 114.
However just two women, JK Rowling, 48, and Tamara Mellon, 46, have made fortunes in their own right. The rest have inherited their vast wealth or own businesses jointly with their husbands, or have won it in divorce hearings.
Galina Berezovsky, 55, Irina Abramovich, 46, and Slavica Ecclestone, 55, all walked away with millions when they divorced their husbands.
Russian Oligarch Boris Berezovsky’s wife was awarded £100 millon, while Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is believed to have been forced to part with £150 million.
Bernie Ecclestone’s £2 billion divorce made his former wife one of Britain’s richest woman.
Slavica, a former Armani model, currently has an estimated wealth of £740 million and is ranked 136th richest in Britain, although it recently emerged that she has paid the Formula One tycoon £300 million since they split in2009.
The trend is likely to continue. Figures from the ONS show that the number of British couples getting divorced has risen since the end of the recession.
According to the Office for National Statistics there were 118,140 divorces in England and Wales in 2012, an increase of 0.5 per cent on the total for 2011.
The ONS said the year-on-year rise could be a reflection of the changing economic situation.
It suggests that couples trapped in unhappy marriages could have been waiting for the value of their house or investments to recover before attempting to split their assets.
Leading divorce lawyer Ayesha Vardaga claims women today are less likely to put up with ‘the shenanigans, the loneliness, the betrayal’ of a failed marriage if the alternative is ‘a series of big fat cheques, her home in her sole name and the freedom to do exactly what she wants to.’
“Where times are tight, it’s unattractive to go out into the frozen economic wastes alone, but once the money starts to flow again, it’s tempting to go out and grab your own bucket,” she said.
A slew of upcoming divorce hearings suggests the list will grow. Michelle Young, 50, is seeking £300 million from her property tycoon husband Scott which would see her jump to 325th on the list.
And former Miss Malaysia Pauline Chai, 66, could be awarded £500 million when she divorces Laura Ashley owner Khoo Kay Peng, 74, this year which would see her enter the list at 199.
However, Former maths teacher Tony Hawken, 57, is likely to find a spot in next year’s list after announcing his split from Chinese multi-millonairess Xiu Li, 51. Mr Harken claims he is fed up with being wealthy.
This year’s Rich List shows that Britain’s most affluent people are becoming wealthier than ever, with a combine fortune of £518.975 billion, 15 per cent more than last year’s £449.654 billion.
A minimum of £85 million is needed to even be considered for the list this year - compared to £80 million in 2008 at the height of the pre-crash boom and £75 last year.
To get into the top 500, the rich need £190 million - double the £80 million required in 2004 and up £30 million from the £160 million cut off point for last year's list.
Philip Beresford, who has compiled the ranking since 1989, said: "I've never seen such a phenomenal rise in personal wealth as the growth in the fortunes of Britain's 1,000 richest people over the past year.
"The richest people in Britain have had an astonishing year.
"While some may criticise them, many of these people are at the heart of the economy and their success brings more jobs and more wealth for the country."
Most distinguished among the old money names, the Queen had a sterling year as she added £10 million to her personal fortune and is now ranked 285 with £330 million.
Former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy, who stepped down at the supermarket chain in 2011, was among the new entrants with a worth of £100 million, ranking at 863.
The digital economy also showed its growing purchasing power as four members of King Digital Entertainment, which is behind the addictive Candy Crash game, joined the list for the first time too.
Entertainers featured heavily in the 50 Young Rich list for those aged 30 and under.
Former Harry Potter star Emma Watson, 24, is now estimated to be worth £30 million, up £3 million on last year, as she builds a career for herself as a Hollywood leading lady.
Husband and wife Marcus Mumford 27, and Carey Mulligan, 28, joined the young list for the first time with a joint fortune of £13 million from their music and films.
Last week it was announced that the list's compilers had found that the number of billionaires living in Britain has risen to more than 100 for the first time.
Some 104 billionaires are now based in the UK - more than triple the number from a decade ago - with a combined wealth of more than £301 billion.
It means Britain has more billionaires per head of population than any other country, while London's total of 72 sterling billionaires is more than any other city in the world
The list is based on "identifiable wealth" - including land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies. It excludes bank accounts, which the Sunday Times has no access to.