THE RICHEST WELSH PEOPLE IN HISTORY
WHO had more money, the first and only King of Wales or the Marquess of Bute? It’s a simple question without a straightforward answer.
Taking changes to inflation and cultural attitudes to wealth into account, it is near-impossible to determine how their finances compared.
But what is clear is the impact of their exploits have been felt across the country, earning them power, fame and fortune beyond comprehension.
The same could be said for many individuals, from powerful kings and innovative industrialists to savvy entrepreneurs and smart venture capitalists – the result of their work can almost always be seen centuries and decades later.
Many leaders attempted to claim the title of King of Wales.
But only one man ever successfully united and ruled over the major territories of Powys, Gwynedd, Dyfed/ Deheubarth and Morgannwg.
In the mid-11th century, at a time when wealth was synonymous with land ownership, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn ruled over the entirety of Wales and wielded that power for about eight years.
Dr Mike Davies, who has written a book about the ruler, said: “One of the things that came out in a number of sources was his wealth and the fact that he had a fleet of ships.
“There are stories about his own personal ship, which was said to have a prow and stern of gold.
Although Gruffydd managed to reach an agreement with Edward the Confessor, the death of his ally Aelfgar left him vulnerable.
After numerous attacks from enemies, he eventually met his demise in 1064.
Harri Morgan built his phenomenal wealth as a 17th-century privateer – a licensed pirate – attacking Spanish ships in the Caribbean with the backing of the English crown.
Although little is known about his early life, Morgan was born in south Wales around 1635 and eventually made his way to the West Indies.
He was rewarded with a knighthood and served on three occasions as Governor of Jamaica.
Although born in Yorkshire and a prominent London business figure, few individuals have left a mark on south Wales as deep as ironmaster Richard Crawshay.
By the time of his death in June 1810, he was said to be among the 50 richest men in Britain.
The Bute family brought power and prosperity to Cardiff, turning it into one of the greatest coal-exporting ports in the world.
John Crichton-Stuart, the 3rd Marquess of Bute’s vast inheritance from the 2nd Marquess reportedly made him the richest man in the world. He embarked on a mission to transform Cardiff Castle into a neo-Gothic dream palace. On the outskirts of the city, he also had Castell Coch built. The castle fulfilled Bute’s desire to recreate, in almost every detail, a medieval castle. He used it only very occasionally, mainly to entertain visitors.
Terry Matthews is thought to be Wales’ first billionaire. He was born in Newport at the then Lydia Beynon Maternity Hospital in 1943, which would later form part of his vast Celtic Manor Resort Hotel estate.
Today, Matthews has multiple business interests and is thought to have a personal net worth of £1.075bn.
He is perhaps best-known as the owner of the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, which he bought around 1980.
Billionaire investor Michael Moritz is Wales’ richest living man.
The Cardiff-born private equity entrepreneur is a partner in Silicon Valley firm Sequoia Capital and is worth more than £2.9bn according to The Sunday Times Rich List for 2018.
Douglas and Mary Perkins established the Specsavers brand in 1984 and the family still privately own the entire business.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, the family’s current net worth stands at £1.7bn, with their children expected to eventually take over from Douglas and Mary.
Penarth-born David Sullivan only reached the level of billionaire about two years ago but has been a wealthy man since his 20s.
He built his initial fortune in the sex shop and adult magazine industry in the 1970s and produced several lowbudget British sex movies before launching the Sunday Sport in 1986.
Sullivan has since moved into property investments and sporting interests.
He has been one of the owners of West Ham United – the club he supported since childhood – for the past eight years.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, his net worth stands at £1.1bn
Simon Nixon amassed his fortune by helping to set up price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com, based in Ewloe, Flintshire.
Over the years, he has sold about £724m worth of stock in the company since it went public.
He now has hundreds of millions in property holdings, stocks, tech investments and hedge funds.
According to the latest Sunday Times Rich List, his fortune increased £74m to £1.25bn last year.