Betfred Founders Lead UK’s 2026 Top Taxpayer Rankings

Anthony Joshua, JK Rowling and Mo Salah have been named among the UK’s top 100 taxpayers.

The billionaire siblings behind the Betfred gambling empire, Fred and Peter Done, have claimed the number one spot on The Sunday Times Tax List 2026 for the first time.

The Warrington-based duo contributed an estimated £400.1m to the public purse, a significant increase from the £273.4m they paid the previous year. This surge propelled them ahead of other major figures in business, sports, and entertainment.

Following the Done brothers, financial trader Alex Gerko secured second place with a £331.4m tax bill, while hedge fund manager Chris Rokos came in third with £330m.

The top ten also featured notable business figures such as Mike Ashley (9th, £175m) and Wetherspoons founder Sir Tim Martin (8th, £199.7m). Other prominent entrepreneurs like Sir James Dyson and Revolut co-founder Nik Storonsky also made the list.

The rankings highlighted a mix of new and familiar faces from the entertainment and sports worlds.

Harry Styles debuted at 54th (£24.7m), joining Ed Sheeran, who ranked 64th (£19.9m).

Two Premier League stars entered the list for the first time: Erling Haaland (72nd, £16.9m)—who is the youngest entrant at 25—and Mo Salah (81st, £14.5m). Boxer Anthony Joshua rounded out the top 100 with an £11m contribution.

Harry Potter’s J.K. Rowling placed 36th with a tax bill of £47.5m.

Overall, the top 100 taxpayers contributed a combined total of £5.758bn, an increase from the previous year’s £4.985bn.