The power and influence of the wealthiest in society has been one of the main themes of The Ferret’s Who Runs Scotland series.
We’ve looked at how powerful people and actors have leveraged their influence to impact policy and government decision-making.
But who are Scotland’s richest people, and how did they make their money? As part of Who Runs Scotland, we’ve taken a look.
1. Anders Holch Povlsen
What is their net worth? £6.73bn – 24th richest person in the UK (Sunday Times Rich list)
How did they make their fortune? Fashion, online shopping, financial services
Anders Holch Povlsen is Scotland’s richest man, and has been measured by Forbes as one of the 200 wealthiest people on the planet.
His primary business interest has been retailer Bestseller, which began as a small shop run by Povlsen’s parents in the Danish town of Ringkobing. He took over the firm aged 28, and has built it into a multimillion pound fashion empire with 2,800 shops across 44 countries.
Bestseller owns a number of well-known brands, including Jack & Jones, Only & Sons, and Lil Atelier. The firm also owns part of the Topshop and Topman brands, and is a major shareholder in online clothes retailer ASOS.
He and his wife Anne bought the 42,000-acre Glenfeshie estate in the Cairngorms for £8m in 2006, and through their company Wildland, they are attempting a significant, although at times controversial, rewilding project in the area. They are Scotland’s largest private landowners, according to research from Who Owns Scotland.
Povlsen’s firm secretly lobbied Scottish Government ministers in 2020 in opposition to a proposed spaceport in Sutherland, near to one of his estates. The billionaire reportedly has a significant stake in a separate spaceport in the northern tip of the Shetland Islands.
He also faced criticism after private jets he owned made over 1,000 flights in four years, despite his reputation as a champion of the environment. A number of flights were made from Denmark to Inverness, before Povlsen celebrated his 50th birthday. Pop legend Lionel Richie was reportedly flown in for the lavish bash, at Aldourie Castle on the banks of Loch Ness.
2. Glenn Gordon and family
What is their net worth? £5.619bn – 36th in UK
How did they make their fortune? Drinks industry
The chairman of William Grant and Sons, Gordon is a descendant of the company’s founder.
His company owns some of Scotland and the world’s most well-known drinks brands, including whiskies like Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Hendrick’s gin and Sailor Jerry rum.
The firm faced an inquiry in 2025 over its acquisition of the Famous Grouse brand by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), but the deal was cleared after an investigation.
Gordon, who is now based in Jersey, is a director of William Grant and Sons alongside his cousin Peter, who preceded Gordon as chairman of the firm.
3. Sir Ian Wood and family
What is their net worth? £1.911bn – 88th in UK
How did they make their fortune? Oil and gas services
Sir Ian Wood is one of Scotland’s highest-profile businessmen. The company he founded, Wood group, has become an oil services multinational with operations in more than 50 countries.
He retired as chairman in 2012, but remains a director of JW Holdings, which is one of Scotland’s largest fishing firms.
Since leaving Wood, he has spent time on various business interests, including Opportunity North East (ONE), a group which promotes entrepreneurial growth in north east Scotland.
The Aberdeen-born businessman has exerted influence over Scottish and UK Government policy, In 2013, he undertook a review of how the UK’s recovery of oil and gas could be maximised, with his recommendations being accepted by ministers. Wood has also regularly made public political interventions, querying the Scottish Government’s predictions on oil and gas before the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.
He also belatedly expressed support for Brexit, having voted to stay in Europe in the 2016 referendum.
4. Mahdi Al-Tajir
What is their net worth? £1.641bn – 102nd in UK
How did they make their fortune? Metals, oil and gas, mineral water, property
Keir House, a 15,000-acre estate in Perthshire, is the centre of Mahdi Al-Tajir’s Scottish business empire. It is here that his bottled water firm, Highland Spring, is based.
Born in Bahrain, Al-Tajir was once the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the UK. He was a close ally and advisor to the UAE’s founder, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and worked as Dubai’s head of customs. He was also involved in the emirate’s petroleum exports, and was once described as “the Mr Fixit of Dubai”.
He bought Keir House in 1975, and splits his time between there and a reported residence in London. Aside from Highland Spring, Al-Tajir also has investments in luxury hotel, The Park Tower, in London and property firms.
5. Lady Philomena Clark and family
What is their net worth? £1.581bn – 106th in UK
How did they make their fortune? Car dealerships
Philomena Clark took over as chair of Arnold Clark Automobiles, after her husband’s death in 2017. She now runs the firm, which has nearly 200 dealerships across the UK.
She has kept a relatively low profile, with her business holdings mainly linked to the automobile industry. In 2022, the company suffered a cyber attack from a Russian ransomware group, with customers having bank details and ID documents stolen.
Her husband, Sir Arnold became the UK’s first car billionaire in 2016, and was known to race yachts and collect vintage cars.
Obviously a massive wealth tax on their assets and lands would benefit Scotland.