Aberdeen Rich List 2025
Aberdeens Richest - GROUP 10
GROUP 10
67. Scott Martin – CEO Glacier Energy – Accountancy MBOs
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Estimated Net Wealth £6-£10 Million
Scott Martin is the current CEO of Glacier Energy, a leading provider of energy services. With a strong background in accountancy, Scott began his executive career as Group CFO for 3i-backed international oil services firm Howco, serving from 1998 to 2003. He played a central role in the successful MBOs (management buyouts) of RGIT Montrose and Noble Denton, demonstrating his strategic leadership in high-value corporate transitions.
From 2004 to 2007, Scott held senior leadership roles at Petrofac, including Group Head of Mergers & Acquisitions. A qualified Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Law degree, Scott combined his legal and financial expertise to lead the MBO of Glacier Energy in 2011, marking a turning point in the company’s growth and positioning it as a key player in the energy sector.
Outside of Glacier Energy, Scott Martin has made extensive investments, particularly within the Oil & Gas sector. His investment portfolio includes Advanced Heat Transfer, Aberdeen Radiators, Ross Offshore, and Glacier Inspection—highlighting his continued focus on high-growth industrial and energy-focused ventures.
A dedicated and competitive sportsman, Scott Martin is also the reigning Scottish Over 55s Men’s Tennis Champion.
While an exact calculation of Scott Martin's net wealth is challenging, it is estimated to be around £12 million. His career achievements and financial influence make him a significant figure in Aberdeen’s business landscape.
59. Mark Cavanagh – XPD8 and Oil Plus Ltd – Property Investment
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Estimated Wealth £19 Million
Mark Cavanagh began his career in the 1990s as an asset integrity engineer for Shell, specializing in detecting corrosion and preventing equipment failure in the harsh offshore environments of the North Sea Oil Industry. His expertise in Asset Integrity led to the development of advanced software tools that predicted critical system failures before they occurred.
In 2003, Mark Cavanagh founded his first company, XPD8, focused on asset integrity services. Just a year later, he completed a management buyout of the remaining shares for approximately £6 million. Under his leadership, XPD8 secured contracts with major Blue Chip Oil & Gas companies operating in the North Sea. With headquarters in Aberdeen and London, the company quickly expanded internationally.
In 2015, XPD8 was sold to industrial giant John Crane for a reported £24 million, marking a major milestone in Mark Cavanagh's career.
Beyond oil and gas, Mark Cavanagh has built significant wealth through property investment. He owns premium office spaces and high-end residential properties in some of Aberdeen’s most prestigious areas, all of which are leased to top-tier tenants.
He also ventured into hospitality, opening and owning upscale restaurants such as The Forum and No1, where patrons were known to arrive in the company Rolls Royce.
Today, Mark Cavanagh continues his involvement in the Oil Industry through his latest venture, Oil Plus Ltd, which provides specialized maintenance services to offshore and onshore operations.
42. Alistair Thomson – Fishing Rights | Land Investment | Property Development
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Estimated Net Worth £35m
Alistair Thomson, born in September 1941, is an influential figure in Scottish land ownership, property development, and fishing rights management, with an estimated net worth of £35 million. Based in Banchory, Alistair is currently the Chairman of the Deeside Fishing Company and also serves as Chairman of the local Rotary Club, demonstrating his strong ties to the community and heritage of Deeside.
Alistair owns one of Banchory’s most exclusive riverside properties, a prime estate that includes substantial private fishing rights along the River Dee—making it one of the most sought-after fishing estates in the region.
His rise in wealth began during the 1980s, when he strategically acquired large plots of farmland near Aberdeen Airport, long before the area became a hub of commercial activity. During the 1980s and 1990s, Alistair developed expansive office space and commercial warehousing, which he leased to key players in the Aberdeen Oil and Gas industry.
In addition to leasing, he sold prime development land to energy companies and corporate investors, with transactions reportedly reaching into the tens of millions. Today, his property portfolio includes substantial commercial real estate and undeveloped land near the Raith Farm site, adjacent to Aberdeen International Airport.
Alistair continues to lead his family-owned property and land investment firm as Chairman, with his son Graham Thomson now serving as Managing Director, ensuring a strong legacy in Scottish property development, fishing rights, and land investment.
34.Malcolm Allan – House Building Entrepreneur
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Estimated Net Worth: £50 Million
Malcolm Allan began his career in 1974 as a builder for a local construction firm. Driven by ambition and vision, he believed he could do for himself what he was doing for others. He purchased his first plot of land for £600 and secured planning permission to build his first home.
That initial project, a house in Kintore near Aberdeen, sold for £12,700, earning Malcolm a £2,000 profit—the capital he needed to begin scaling up.
The timing was ideal. With the Oil Industry boom hitting Aberdeenshire in the mid-1970s, the local population soared from 160,000 to 260,000 in just ten years. Malcolm seized the opportunity, building and selling thousands of homes to new arrivals, which helped him amass considerable wealth.
In 1986, during the oil price crash, many local builders collapsed—but Malcolm Allan’s homes were so renowned for their quality, that his Queens Den development in Aberdeen was the only project still selling houses during that turbulent time.
Today, while the company has scaled down, it remains profitable and respected. With annual sales approaching £15 million and assets valued near £60 million, Malcolm Allan’s firm continues to thrive. The business has since diversified into farming and other ventures, further reinforcing the Allan family legacy in Scottish property development.
Rich List Number
Name
Net Worth
44
Ricky Simpson – Bars, Nightclubs, Property
£35M
29
Johanna Basford – Publishing & Bestselling Author
£90M
19
Leslie Benzies – Rockstar Games Visionary | Grand Theft Auto Creator | Video Game Industry Icon
£178M
14
Martin Dickie – BrewDog Co-Founder, Brewing Pioneer
£290M
7
Klaas Zwaart – Oil & Gas | Motor Racing | Investments
£560M
63
Colin Lawson – Transport Logistics
£18M
55
Stewart Proctor – Tech Industry – Motor Racing
£22M
50
Dan Millard – Oil & Gas Inspection and Integrity Services
£28M
45
Stuart Clarkson – Bars – Property Development
£32M
6
Dave Cormack – Software & Football
£600M
66
Steve Judge – Space Solutions
£10M
58
Considine – The Aberdein Considine Family
£20M
47
Eddie Anderson – ARR Craib – Transport and Logistics
£30M
43
Adrian Taylor & Family –Taylors Industrial Waste
£35M
36
Stewart Milne – Housebuilding | Property Development
£45M
41
Robert Kidd – Oil & Gas Rental Equipment – ITS (International Tubular Services)
£36M
29
Peter Tait – Fishing
£82m
16
Roy Macgregor - Global Energy Group
£360m
10
Nicky Walker – Walkers Shortbread | Food & Drink
£320m
5
Martin Gilbert – Finance, Investment & Consulting
£700m
63
Sandy Clark – Finance Expert | Investment Strategist | Corporate Leader
£8m
57
Paul Lawrie – Golf
£19m
44
Jimmy Buchan – Fishing & Seafood Supply
£32m
39
Ian Dunbar – Kirkwood Homes Founder & House Building Pioneer
£38m
33
Marshall Family – Marshall Trailers & Agricultural Innovation
£65M
26
Ian Suttie – Property and Oil
£90M
12
Douglas Craig – Craig Group | Shipping & Offshore Services
£300M
9
Alistair Locke – Abbot Group | Motor Fuel Group | Distilleries
£350M
3
Trond Mohn – Framo & One Subsea – Oil & Gas - Inheritance
£1100M
35
Andy Bird – Inoapps Founder & Software Development Visionary
£48M
65
Mike Straughen – Executive Leadership | Management Expert | Non-Executive Directorships
£10M
57
Eric Evans – Oil Services | Media | International Trade
£20M
54
Alan Massie – Carlton Rock – Property Developer
£22M
40
Jim Geddie – Oil & Gas – Apex Tubulars – Motor Racing
£38M
32
Bob Drummond – Hydrasun | D2Zero
£80M
23
Tommy Dreelan – Oil & Gas | Motor Racing
£150M
54
64. Scott Martin – CEO Glacier Energy – Accountancy MBOs
£10M
40
59. Mark Cavanagh – XPD8 and Oil Plus Ltd – Property Investment
£19M
32
Alistair Thomson – Fishing Rights | Land Investment | Property Development
£35M
23
Malcolm Allan – House Building Entrepreneur
£50M
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John Ray – Rigblast | Property | Oil & Gas Services
Derek Nicol & Stephanie Nicol – Nicol of Skene – Civil Engineering
Doug Duguid – Oil & Gas Services & Renewables
Tony Quinn – Pet Food, Confectionery & Motorsport
James Watt – BrewDog | Brewing | Beer | Investment
Glenn Gordon – Whisky – Glenfiddich – Distilling - Inheritance
Ean Emslie – Commercial Property Rental
Maitland Mackie 3 – Ice Cream & Agribusiness
Shaun Ross – Founder of Metrol Technology (Photo Unavailable)
Sir Jim Milne – Balmoral Group | Hotelier | Property
Tom Cross – Oil & Gas | Parkmeade Group
Steve Mackie – Prosource – I.T. Software and Corporate I.T. Services
John Heiton – OEG Group | Oilfield Equipment Rental
Robert (Bob) Keiller – Oil & Gas Services | Business Consultancy
Larry Kinch – Oil & Gas Exploration
George Maxwell – Eland Oil & Gas | Oil & Gas Exploration
Doug Milne – MTM Construction – Civil Engineering
Alistair Langlands – WOODGROUP – Investments & Directorships
Graham Wood – Hotels – Bars – Property Development
Michael Freeman – CAN Offshore | Oil & Gas Services
Steven Ferguson – Ferguson Group, Oil & Gas Logistics
Scotoil Graham Davidson Family
Mackintosh Plant Hire – Moira, Suzanne, Albert, Gary, and Moira Mackintosh
Graeme Bone – Drum Property Group Founder | Prime Four Developer | UK Commercial Real Estate Visionary
Conrad Ritchie & The Ritchie Family
John Clark – Car Dealership
Sir Ian Wood – Fishing & Oil & Gas – Rig Maintenance – Philanthropy
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Billionaire industrialist Sir Ian Wood stands as the wealthiest homegrown founder of a company in Scotland.
When he stepped down from the helm in 2013, his creation—Wood Group plc—had grown into a global powerhouse valued at $12 billion, operating in more than 60 countries, employing 60,000 people, and elevating his personal fortune to over £2 billion.
A figure both formidable and fiercely debated, Sir Ian Wood’s life unfolds as an extraordinary saga—one marked by relentless effort, unwavering determination, profound personal sacrifice, moments of tragedy, brushes with disaster, and the darker currents of betrayal, greed, immense wealth, and influence.
Beginning with his family’s modest fishing-boat repair business in 1967, he boldly steered the company into the emerging world of oil and gas just as the industry reached Britain’s shores in the 1970s. From there, he built a sprawling empire that touched shipping, energy, fishing, technology, travel, electronics, power generation, offshore drilling, and property development.
His leadership oversaw the most dramatic industrial transformation Aberdeen had ever seen.Now, for the first time, the story long hidden behind closed doors is revealed. This is an explosive, deeply revealing journey into the sometimes shadowy, often ruthless, yet undeniably electrifying world of the Aberdeen oil and gas sector—its power brokers, its high-stakes decisions, and the man whose influence shaped an era.
Sir Ian’s real-life ascent makes HBO’s Succession seem like little more than a gentle bedtime tale.His achievements stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest entrepreneurs in any industry, at any point in history.