Four UK Cypriots make the top 250 in the UK Rich List 2021 and their art of giving

It is the most unsettling of booms. Over the past year tens of thousands of us have buried loved ones and millions of us have feared for our livelihoods. But at the very same time more people have become billionaires than at any point in British history.

This year’s Rich List identifies a record 171 UK billionaires — 24 more than in 2020. That is the biggest jump in the 33 years The Sunday Times has been tracking the fortunes of the UK’s most affluent people. The combined fortunes of the billionaires in this Rich List grew by nearly 22 per cent to £597.269 billion.

During the pandemic many of them pledged funds to give to the needy.

The richest Cypriots are highlighted below.

Alki David and the Leventis Family

First is Alki David (pictured below) at position 58  valued £2.75 billion,he was born In Nigeria his parents from Cyprus and lives here in the UK and Los Angeles. David, who has appeared as heavies and the like in films or TV series in Britain, runs FilmOn, a patented live-streaming Internet business, allowing access to live HDTV streaming via PCs, televisions and cell phones which is worth more than £500 million. David had a controlling 80% stake. Alki David is a member of the prominent Cypriot Leventis family who merged its worldwide bottling operation with Coca Cola to create London listed international drinks bottler Coca Cola HBC.

Established in May 1979, the A. G. Leventis Foundation is the outcome of the vision of the Cypriot entrepreneur Anastasios G. Leventis (1902-1978), who laid the bases of its focus on society, education and culture.

Now in its fourth decade, the Foundation retains its adherence to these priorities, keenly supporting the dissemination of Greek and Cypriot cultural heritage, as well as extensive public benefits programs, pioneering environmental protection projects, and medical research.

Alki David

Lazari family

Second  richest are the Lazari family valued at £2.22 billion at position 73. The death of Chris Lazari five years ago robbed the London property market of one of its shrewdest operators . Chris Lazaris (Photo below) was from Dora in Cyprus,he started in fashion with Drendie Girl he later founded Lazari Investments, the booming Central and North London property operation with 2.8m sq ft of London commercial space plus 113 residential properties and 731 freeholds that is now run by his three children Len, Nicholas and Andrie.The Christos Lazari Foundation was set up in honour of the UK Cypriot businessman Christos Lazari who was a generous philanthropist throughout his life. It works with causes which were close to his heart.

 Chris lazari

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and family

The third richest Cypriot in the List is Easy Jet founder Sir Stelios Haji –Ioannou (Photo below) at number 77with a value of £2.17 Billion. Few people have lost more from Brexit than Haji-Ioannou. The morning after the referendum easyJets shares nosedived and have yet to recover.

Stelios and his family have a 27.7% stake in the budget airline worth £1,285 billion.  Stelios Foundation funds scholarships at the London School of Economics and elsewhere. He also has a charity food from the heart provides poverty relief in Greece and Cyprus. His Stelios Philanthropic Foundation has given away £45 million since 2010.

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou

John Christodoulou

4^th  richest is  John Christodoulou at £2 billion and position 82 is Nicosia born John Christodoulou who came to the UK after the Cyprus Turkish invasion he bought his first property in 1964. John is the second largest freeholder in Canary Wharf with 2m sq ft which includes two five star hotels the Marriot and Four Seasons. He also has 2,000 residential and commercial freehold units in Central London other interests include Brazilian land , New York apartments  and  Manchester’s Hilton Tower and Liverpool’s Radisson Blu.