2025 Aberdeen's Rich List

Just who are the richest people in Aberdeen?. To coincide with the release of the Sunday Times Rich List 2025, we’re proud to unveil the Aberdeenshire Rich List for 2025. Meticulously compiled, this index highlights the wealthiest individuals in Aberdeen and the North of Scotland—along with a few intriguing names included for interest.

As expected, much of the region’s wealth in 2025 continues to stem from the Oil & Gas industry. One interesting note, is almost 15% became multi millionaires selling out their companies to Halliburton, Weatherford or Schlumberger. The top 47 individuals on our list are collectively worth an impressive £14.7 billion, making Aberdeen one of the wealthiest city in the UK per capita.

While we've made every effort to estimate net worth as accurately as possible, wealth estimation can be a complex and private matter—so we kindly ask readers to excuse any omissions or discrepancies. And we are fully aware there are many millionaires with wealth exceeding many of those on this list, who have successfully stayed under the radar.

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Steve Judge – Space Solutions

Estimated Wealth £6m–£10m

While the exact wealth of Steve Judge is unclear—due to unknown ownership percentages in the company he founded—this entry recognises the success of both the man and the business. Steve is the founder and Managing Director of Space Solutions, a company that has grown to become a powerhouse in Scottish commercial property design and redevelopment.

Steve began his career as a recruitment consultant with Carton Appointments before transitioning into property management at Chess Holdings in the early 1990s. There, he noticed a recurring issue: as client companies grew, they required more suitable or larger premises, and were often leaving to find them. Steve saw an opportunity to retain tenants, increase rents, and add value by redeveloping existing properties to meet evolving client needs. He hired an architect and began reimagining commercial spaces—and in 1997, Space Solutions was born.

From these beginnings, the company rapidly expanded across Scotland’s commercial landscape, completing major projects for clients like the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Zoo. Though not directly tied to the oil & gas or marine industries, the company's Aberdeen base and strong presence in Scotland’s coastal cities align it closely with the region's economic tides.

In 2024, Space Solutions reported £40m in sales, with a gross profit of approximately £7m and around 210 employees. We estimate the company’s value to be between £70m and £90m, placing Steve Judge’s personal wealth in the range of £6m–£10m.

Space Solutions remains one of Aberdeen’s most quietly impressive success stories.

47. Eric Evans – Oil Services | Media | International Trade

Estimated Wealth: £10m-£20m

Eric Evans arrived in Aberdeen from Norfolk at the age of 20, calling the city “buzzing” with opportunity. Quickly earning a reputation as a “Mr Fixit”, Eric was the go-to man for oil companies in urgent need of staff or mechanical services. By the early 1980s, he had built one of the most successful employment agencies serving the booming North Sea Oil & Gas industry.

Beyond business, Evans was a familiar face on the local scene—some may remember his ownership of the nightclub Champers, or his time running a radio station. He was also known for cruising Aberdeen in a striking willow gold Rolls-Royce, complete with the number plate ESE 1.

After selling his ventures, Evans took a dramatic turn, investing in the logging industry in Liberia. The move placed him in the midst of the country's brutal civil war, and in a remarkable tale of survival, he claims to have escaped the country by trading a bag of rice for a handful of diamonds with local children.

He also counts himself a survivor of the Orly Airport bombing in 1983—another harrowing chapter in a life full of twists.

Colin Lawson – Transport Logistics

Estimated Wealth £18m

Colin Lawson Transport is one of the most trusted names in haulage across Aberdeen. Colin began his journey in 1997, taking a major financial risk to purchase his first haulage truck. Initially working third-party contracts with lower margins, he quickly realised the key to growth lay in dealing directly with end clients, where returns were higher.

As the oil & gas industry surged in the early 2000s, Colin succeeded in partially breaking the stronghold held by giants like Petersen and ASCO over offshore transportation contracts. Through relentless sales efforts, he steadily built his business into one of the most successful logistics providers in Aberdeenshire.

By 2024, the company owns over 75 trucks and 110 trailers—fleet assets valued around £15m. With 2023 sales hitting £8.3m and a gross profit of approximately £1.1m, the business is estimated to be worth around £18m.

46. Ean Emslie – Commercial Property Rental

Estimated Wealth: £19 million

You’d be hard-pressed to walk down a street in Aberdeen without spotting an "Ean Emslie To Let" sign. A low-profile figure in the city’s business landscape, Ean Emslie remains somewhat of an enigma—with little public information and no available photo for publication.

Emslie owns over 100 prime retail, office, and shop units across Aberdeen, making him a major player in the Aberdeen commercial property rental market. His roots in real estate go back to the 1950s when his father began investing in disused commercial properties, restoring them to rentable condition and laying the foundation for what would become a vast property portfolio.

Today, Ean lives off the rental income from his extensive commercial property empire and enjoys a luxury home in Marbella, joining a growing list of affluent Aberdonians with high-end residences in Spain.

45.Paul Lawrie – Golf

Estimated Net Worth: £19 Million

Paul Lawrie is widely regarded as Aberdeen’s most famous sportsman. Turning professional in golf in 1986 at just 17 years old, his greatest achievement came in 1999 when he won the British Open at Carnoustie in one of the sport’s most dramatic finishes. Lawrie triumphed in a thrilling playoff after Jean Van de Velde famously lost a three-shot lead on the final hole.

Over his distinguished career, Paul Lawrie has amassed over £12 million in career prize money and ranks an impressive 41st on the all-time European Tour Order of Merit. Winning the British Open was a life-changing moment and marked 1999 as his most successful year as a professional golfer.

Beyond his success on the course, Paul Lawrie has made numerous investments in Aberdeen, including the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre. He also established the Paul Lawrie Foundation, a charitable initiative dedicated to promoting and encouraging young people under 18 to take up the game of golf.

44.Considine – The Aberdein Considine Family

Estimated Net Worth: £20 Million

In 1981, the renowned firm Aberdein Considine was founded by two friends, Harvey Aberdein and Iain Considine. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1975, Iain began his legal career at Edmonds & Ledingham, followed by a role at Roy Grant & Co. Both founders started out at an established Aberdeen law firm, but shared a vision to revolutionize the way lawyers did business with their clients.

Over the decades, Aberdein Considine has grown to become Scotland’s largest estate agent, with more than 20 major offices across the UK and a team nearing 500 staff.

In the mid-2000s, the company expanded beyond its estate agency roots, branching into legal services, financial planning, and wealth management. Today, Aberdein Considine stands as one of the most respected law firms in Aberdeen, known for its innovation and client-focused approach.

While an exact valuation is difficult to determine, the company could be worth up to £40 million. Our list estimates the Considine family’s net worth at £20 million.

43. Alan Massie – Carlton Rock – Property Developer

Estimated Wealth: £22 million

Alan Massie built his fortune as a prominent property developer in Aberdeenshire. Known for his political involvement and as a staunch Unionist, he has financially supported several political campaigns aimed at preserving the Scottish Union with England. Notably, he donated £20,000 to Michael Gove’s office and contributed approximately £400,000 to the Labour Party between 2011 and 2016.

Massie previously lodged a defamation claim against SNP Aberdeen City Council Leader Callum McCaig over remarks published on the official SNP website. His company, Castle Rock Limited, co-owned with Aberdeen business figure Stuart Clarkson, is a major player in the commercial property market. The company owns a diverse portfolio, including offices, warehouses, and retail buildings, and is believed to control an entire luxury apartment tower on Aberdeen’s Queens Road. It also owns commercial properties in Westhill, which are thought to include the Marks & Spencer Industrial Estate.

In 2016, plans by Castle Rock for a £50 million retirement village in Hazlehead, Aberdeen were shelved. A revised project proposed a 200-bedroom hotel on the same site. Alan Massie also sold one of the most prestigious homes near Den View Road in Aberdeen for approximately £3 million, and owns a luxury holiday villa near Marbella.

42. Stewart Proctor – Tech Industry – Motor Racing

Estimated Wealth: £22 million

Stewart Proctor, a founding Director of prosource.it, holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Aberdeen and a Diploma in Management Studies from Robert Gordon University. In the late 1980s, his lifestyle was filled with luxury sports cars and glamorous company. A serious back injury at the Warehouse Gym could have changed the course of his life—but Stewart made a full recovery.

He went on to spend 12 years at Computacenter, managing major accounts for blue-chip clients, before co-founding the IT services company Promac with Steve Mackie in 1999. This venture paved the way for the creation of prosource.it in June 2003. Unlike many Aberdeen startups focused on oil and gas, prosource.it carved out a unique position by supplying thousands of IT professionals to the banking and finance sectors worldwide.

Like many of Aberdeen’s millionaires, Stewart is passionate about motor racing. He competes in the British GT Championship driving a McLaren 720S GT3, often alongside his son, Lewis. The pair also race in the prestigious International GT Open, held on world-renowned Formula 1 circuits across the globe.

Scotoil Graham Davidson Family

Estimated wealth £23m

Scotoil was founded in 1982 by keen cyclist Ian Davidson. The company began by cleaning returning piping equipment and valves that required the removal of radioactive materials before being scrapped. It soon expanded, developing acid baths and spray decontamination techniques, eventually moving into the sales, repair, and servicing of radiological instrumentation for oil & gas platforms.

As the business progressed, a significant portion of its revenue came from scrap metal sales on behalf of clients. During the decommissioning phase of the oil & gas industry in Scotland—when many companies faced downturns—Scotoil thrived.

The Davidson family owned a vast stretch of land at Miller Street near Aberdeen’s beach, and in 1998, it became the site of the £26m Beach Boulevard Retail Centre, home to ASDA and other outlets. This development brought substantial wealth to the family.

Although Ian sadly passed away at just 46 in 2003, the company he and his family built has grown exponentially over the past two decades. In 2014, Scotoil was acquired by Spanish giant Tradebe for an undisclosed amount.

41. John Heiton – OEG Group | Oilfield Equipment Rental

Estimated Wealth: £28m

John Heiton is the CEO of OEG Group, a global leader in specialised oilfield equipment rental, headquartered in Aberdeen. Under his leadership, the company has grown into a major international player, supplying containerised equipment for rapid deployment across the world’s oil and gas fields.

OEG now operates in 52 countries, employs over 1,000 people, and manages a fleet of more than 75,000 rental units. In a recent milestone, Heiton oversaw the sale of a majority stake in OEG to Apollo Private Equity, in a deal reportedly worth over $1 billion.

In addition to his role at OEG, Heiton holds an extensive investment portfolio, with stakes in more than 40 UK-based oil and gas companies. Due to the private nature of his holdings and wide-ranging business interests, assessing his exact wealth is challenging—but current estimates place it around £28 million.

40. Dan Millard – Oil & Gas Inspection and Integrity Services

Estimated Wealth: £28 million

At just 33 years old, Dan Millard is the youngest self-made entrepreneur on the Aberdeen Rich List. A graduate of Dundee, Dan founded Eserv at the age of 23, driven by firsthand industry experience. While working as an Integrity Repair Orders Manager at the BP Sullom Voe Oil Terminal, he identified a costly inefficiency—millions were being spent on external surveys due to a lack of accessible plant data.

Dan’s solution was both innovative and timely. With the development of cutting-edge 3D scanning technology, he pioneered a system that could digitally scan oil and gas assets, creating a real-time Digital Twin. This approach allowed clients to pre-emptively gather asset data, streamlining the repair process and eliminating long wait times for traditional surveys.

His breakthrough transformed asset integrity management across the oil and gas industry, offering significant time and cost savings. A subsequent investment from the Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) enabled Eserv to adapt its technology to the wind energy sector, developing Digital Twin solutions for renewable energy infrastructure.

Today, Eserv operates across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and continues to expand rapidly. In 2022, Vespa Capital acquired a stake in the company, providing a strong private equity platform to support its next phase of growth.

Eddie Anderson – ARR Craib – Transport and Logistics

Estimated Wealth: £30m

Eddie Anderson is the former Managing Director of transport powerhouse ARR Craib, a name synonymous with haulage across the northeast coast of Scotland. The business was originally founded in 1983 by George Craib. As it expanded, ARR Craib merged with another local firm, Aberdeen Road Runners, cementing its position in the coastal logistics landscape.

Eddie joined the company in 1985 as a young lorry driver. His drive and vision were quickly recognised by senior management. With a keen ability to implement new ideas and streamline operations, Eddie steadily rose through the ranks. His ambition culminated in 2008, when he led a management buyout and became the majority shareholder.

Under Eddie’s leadership, ARR Craib grew into one of the largest privately owned haulage companies in the UK, with a fleet of over 250 lorries and around 500 employees. Much of its success was tied to the oil & gas sector, servicing ports, harbours, and offshore support infrastructure throughout Aberdeen and other maritime hubs.

In 2017, Eddie sold the company for an estimated £50m. He later ventured into hospitality, opening the restaurant No.1 on Rubislaw Terrace.

39. Stuart Clarkson – Bars – Property Development

Estimated Wealth: £32 million

Stuart Clarkson has been a driving force in Aberdeen’s business scene since the age of 20. His father, a well-known local electrician, founded a business in the 1960s, laying the groundwork for Stuart’s entrepreneurial path. One of his earliest ventures came in the early 1980s with the rise of home entertainment—his company, Video Shack, operated four video rental shops in Aberdeen.

In 1985, Stuart launched Microshack, one of the first computer stores in Aberdeen, quickly establishing himself at the forefront of new industries. A year later, he entered the hospitality sector, opening his first bar in Aberdeen. By the late 1980s, he owned popular venues like The Nile, Café Bardot, The Cotton Club, multiple hotels, and a string of bars and nightclubs.

Today, his company PB Devco owns and operates some of the most successful bars in Aberdeen, with a reputation built over two decades. According to 2024 company accounts, PB Devco posted nearly £10 million in turnover and employs 220 staff across its venues.

The company has not been without controversy—a video went viral during the COVID-19 pandemic showing customers embracing while watching a Scotland match at The Draft Project, leading to a temporary closure. Despite occasional negative press, Stuart Clarkson is widely recognized as one of Aberdeen’s most resilient and hard-working entrepreneurs.

In addition to his ventures in hospitality, Stuart is a business partner in Castle Rock Development, the property development firm co-owned with Alan Massie, further strengthening his presence in the Aberdeen property market.

38. Jimmy Buchan – Fishing & Seafood Supply

Estimated Wealth: £32m

Jimmy Buchan, the no-nonsense trawlerman turned entrepreneur, rose to national fame through his appearances on Britain’s Most Dangerous Jobs and the hit series Trawlermen. Based out of Peterhead—Europe’s largest fishing port—his vessel, Amity II, became a familiar sight on television screens, capturing the perilous reality of life at sea.

With over 30 years of experience on the water, Buchan has since transformed his expertise into a thriving fishing and seafood business, supplying fresh fish products directly to supermarkets, commercial clients, and consumers across the UK.

Known for his bold personality and tireless work ethic, Jimmy is a proud son of the “Broch” (Fraserburgh), and alongside Charles Ritchie (deceased) of Score Europe Valves, remains one of the region’s most recognisable and respected figures.

Ricky Simpson – Bars, Nightclubs, Property

Estimated Wealth: £30–£40m

Richard “Ricky” Simpson is arguably the most colourful figure on this list—an iconic Aberdonian whose entrepreneurial rise dates back to the late 1970s. Raised at Slopefield Farm near Aberdeen, in a home without electricity, Ricky's business drive was evident early on. At school, instead of joining classmates at playtime, he cleaned cutlery in the canteen for sixpence—a glimpse into the ambition that would later define him.

Ricky opened several small cafés in Aberdeen before launching Rixons hair salon on Schoolhill in the early 1980s. Known for its innovation, Rixons featured the UK’s first paid DJ in a salon. Within three years, he owned six more salons and boutiques across Dundee, Inverness, and Peterhead—key cities along Scotland’s coastal belt.

In 1982, he opened Aberdeen’s first glamorous wine bar, Bentleys, where he replaced aggressive doormen with trained female martial artists who expertly diffused tension. From there, Ricky's success skyrocketed. He launched numerous venues that became staples of Aberdeen’s social and nightlife scene, many of them near the city’s waterfront or along busy maritime corridors: The 3 Lums, Cupids, Barney Rubbles, Mr G’s, The Clifton Hotel, Bieldside Inn, Waterwheel Inn, Mill of Mundurno, Craighaar Hotel, Simpson Hotel, The Globe, Charlies Bar, The Palm Court, and more.

His remarkable journey took him from Aberdeen to Monaco, then Puerto Banús, and eventually to a £10m home in Barbados—all coastal luxury hubs—as well as Los Angeles, where he was often seen with celebrities like Cameron Diaz. Despite his global lifestyle, Ricky frequently returns to Aberdeen aboard his private jet.

Among locals, he is as well known for his long friendship with Rod Stewart as he is for his business empire. In his heyday, Ricky was often seen cruising Aberdeen in a red Rolls Royce bearing the plate RS2, having sold RS1 to Rod himself.

In 2012, he sold his Simpsons hotel group to fellow Aberdonian businessman Graham Wood for around £10m—marking the end of a golden era in Aberdeen’s hospitality and coastal nightlife scene.

37.Ian Dunbar – Kirkwood Homes Founder & House Building Pioneer

Estimated Net Worth: £38 Million

In 1982, a young Ian Dunbar was working in the building industry in the North East of Scotland. Observing the slow, labour-intensive nature of traditional house construction, he set out to find a more efficient solution. Together with his contemporary Stewart Milne, Ian helped pioneer the use of timber kit homes in the region—cutting construction time in half and revolutionizing local building methods.

As the 1980s progressed, Ian began acquiring significant land parcels and building his own developments. This move established him as one of the largest and most successful home builders in Scotland. By the mid-1980s, his company was not only constructing homes but also selling timber frame house kits to other building firms across the UK.

Today, Kirkwood Homes stands as a premier name in the Scottish house building sector. In 2022, the company recorded sales of £60 million, with land assets valued at approximately £25 million.

Ian is also known for his entrepreneurial flair—rumour has it that in the 1990s, he was the first person in Aberdeenshire to own a McLaren F1 road car, a vehicle now valued at over £30 million.

With a diverse portfolio of companies, Ian’s total wealth is difficult to quantify, but this list focuses on the value of Kirkwood Homes, placing his estimated net worth at £38 million.

36. Jim Geddie – Oil & Gas – Apex Tubulars – Motor Racing

Estimated Wealth: £38 million

Jim Geddie is a prominent figure in the Aberdeen business community, with a longstanding career in the oil and gas industry. He founded APEX Tubulars in 1984, during the boom years of the North Sea oil sector. His early business model was simple but effective—acquiring surplus drill pipe and tubing during market downturns and reselling when demand returned.

Today, APEX Tubulars stands as one of the largest privately owned stockists of oil and gas drilling pipe in the UK. Jim also served as a director at John Lawrie Metals, a position that gave him access to valuable scrap drill pipe and oilfield equipment being discarded by operators unaware of its resale value.

In the 2000s, the business expanded into oilfield equipment rental, further cementing its role in the energy services sector.

True to the trend among Aberdeen millionaires, Jim is passionate about motor racing. He has competed in historic Formula 1 events and GT racing championships across the Middle East, showcasing his enthusiasm for high-performance motorsport on a global stage.

35. Maitland Mackie 3 – Ice Cream & Agribusiness

Estimated Wealth: £40m

Maitland Mackie 3 represents the fourth generation of the Mackie family, continuing a rich legacy that has become synonymous with Scottish ice cream and confectionery. While the current Maitland keeps a low public profile, the story of the Mackie dynasty is among the most fascinating on this list.

The family's roots trace back to Westertown Farm near Turriff, Aberdeenshire, where they began farming in 1912. By the 1930s, they had launched a local milk delivery business, which would lay the foundation for what would become a household brand.

The most notable early figure in the family’s history was Sir Maitland Mackie—also known as Mike Mackie—a knight of the realm and a man of many titles: CBE, KStJ, DL, JP. A farming pioneer, he was the first north of the River Tay to own a combine harvester and helped introduce the use of silage to Scottish dairy farming. He was also an educational innovator, Liberal Party politician, Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, and even served as a British ambassador to the U.S., touring North America in the 1950s as an agricultural speaker.

The modern era of the business began in the 1970s, with branded dairy products reaching supermarkets, but it was in 1986 that the Mackie name became iconic with the launch of Mackie’s Ice Cream. Today, the company is a major player in the premium ice cream market, with 2024 sales reaching £22.8 million.

Maitland Mackie II continues to guide the business forward, maintaining its proud family legacy while evolving with the times.

34. Stewart Milne – Housebuilding | Property Development

Estimated Wealth: £45m

Stewart Milne is one of Aberdeen’s most recognisable business figures—a self-made entrepreneur who rose from humble beginnings to build a construction empire and serve as Chairman of Aberdeen FC.

Raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Milne was the youngest of five sons. His father worked as a farmhand, and his mother was an auxiliary nurse. The family lived in a small three-room cottage without electricity until he was 14. While school held little appeal for him, football and sport were his true passions.

Milne trained as an electrician, and in partnership with a plumber, began renovating flats in Aberdeen during the 1970s. With the city’s aging tenement housing in dire need of modernisation, demand for his work quickly grew. By 1975, he had founded his own housebuilding company, employing 30 people and pioneering rapid timber-frame construction.

His company, the Stewart Milne Group, expanded significantly, opening offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Manchester, and growing to employ over 1,000 staff. At its peak, the company had a turnover of £306 million in 2022. However, the combined impact of COVID-19, rising interest rates, and the economic ripple effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine devastated the housing market—and the business ultimately entered administration, sending shockwaves through the Aberdeen business community.

Milne’s contributions have been recognised with honorary doctorates from Robert Gordon University, Napier University, and Heriot-Watt University. In 2005, he was the highest-paid executive in Scotland, earning £5 million in a single year.

Today, he owns several luxury assets, including Dalhebity House, one of the most expensive private homes ever built in Scotland. Situated on the former site of Princess Diana’s grandmother’s home, the 30,000 sq ft mansion is set in 10 acres of woodland and was estimated to cost £15 million to build—it has been on the market for two years at just under £7.5 million. Milne has also owned a £20 million yacht in the Mediterranean and properties in Gleneagles.

Despite the collapse of his company, Stewart Milne has an estimated wealth of £45 million.

33. Robert (Bob) Keiller – Oil & Gas Services | Business Consultancy

Estimated Wealth: £45m

Bob Keiller is one of Aberdeen’s most respected business leaders, with a career that spans engineering, corporate leadership, and entrepreneurial success in the Oil & Gas sector.

Originally from Jedburgh, Bob showed entrepreneurial instincts early—running a paper delivery business with 20 staff while still at school. He went on to study electrical engineering at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh before starting his career as a loss adjuster, eventually transitioning into engineering with Amerada Hess.

Bob quickly climbed the ranks thanks to his people-first leadership style and calm, collaborative approach. After turning down a high-level position at the company’s U.S. headquarters, he made a pivotal career move by joining KBR, a division of Halliburton, in Aberdeen. There, he rose to Managing Director and, alongside CFO Duncan Skinner, led a management buyout of the company in 2006 for $280 million.

The deal was supported by Sir Tom Hunter, who acquired a 7% stake. In 2012, the business—renamed PSN—was sold to Wood Group for a reported $1 billion, in a landmark deal led by Sir Ian Wood, Scotland’s wealthiest businessman.

Since the sale, Bob Keiller has remained active in business consultancy, mentorship, and entrepreneurship advocacy, continuing to influence the next generation of Scottish business leaders.

32.Andy Bird – Inoapps Founder & Software Development Visionary

Estimated Net Worth: £48 Million

Andy Bird began his career working in Procurement and Logistics for some of the world’s leading Oil & Gas companies. After gaining experience overseas, he settled in Aberdeen, where he joined a locally based oil firm. It was here he identified a critical gap in the market: while many companies relied on SAP and Maximo enterprise software to run their companies, the demand for Oracle software support was being overlooked—despite Oracle’s strong presence in Aberdeen industry.

In 2006, Andy founded Inoapps, a software development and Oracle consultancy firm based in Aberdeen. The company focused on delivering Oracle software customization, implementation, and management support services—a niche that had been previously underserved.

As Aberdeen’s corporate market proved limited and conservative, Andy shifted his sights to more lucrative global opportunities, especially in the U.S. tech sector. Today, Inoapps employs nearly 1,000 people worldwide and continues to expand rapidly in U.S. markets.

A major milestone came when U.S. private equity firm Abry Partners acquired a significant stake in Inoapps, reportedly for tens of millions of pounds. Based on current valuations and growth, we estimate Andy Bird’s net worth at approximately £50 million.

31.Malcolm Allan – House Building Entrepreneur

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.

30.Marshall Family – Marshall Trailers & Agricultural Innovation

Estimated Net Worth: £65 Million

In the spring of 1952, Charles Marshall, an 18-year-old apprentice joiner from Kintore, returned home from national service with a vision. Having witnessed the Army's struggle to move equipment without purpose-built vehicles, and growing up around farming, he saw an opportunity: to create a tractor-towable farm trailer.

With a rough sketch and some ingenuity, he sourced parts and assembled his first trailer—selling it locally and quickly gaining attention. Demand soared after he placed a small ad in Farmer’s Weekly in 1953, which generated over 120 telephone orders. With no means to fulfill them all, Charles quickly scaled up by developing a production process.

That same year, he purchased a croft with an old cattle byre for £2,450, and in 1956, due to rapid growth, he constructed a 12,000 square foot factory on the same land that still serves as the Marshall Trailers headquarters.

By 1965, the company was producing over 1,600 trailers annually. Through the 1970s, they introduced new designs, including trailers for slurry transport and larger agricultural loads, reaching customers as far away as New Zealand.

In 1980, Charles Marshall Jr. joined the business, helping carry the company into a new era. After the founder’s passing in 2016, the firm has remained under family leadership.

Today, Marshall Trailers manufactures over 5,000 trailers per year, making it one of Aberdeenshire’s most pioneering and influential agricultural manufacturing companies. The Marshall family now owns extensive landholdings near Kintore, including golf courses and farm shops, forming a diverse and valuable business portfolio.

While the full extent of the group’s wealth is difficult to determine, Marshall Trailers alone reported sales of £10 million in 2022, with several other companies under the family’s control generating similar revenues.

29. Bob Drummond – Hydrasun | D2Zero

Estimated Wealth: £80m

Bob Drummond is a distinguished figure in the energy services industry, with a career that spans leadership roles at some of the sector’s most prominent companies. He holds an MBA from the University of Aberdeen and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Programme at Columbia Business School.

Drummond’s career began in the late 1980s, with a key role as Project Manager on the Shell Tern Platform hook-up project with Press Offshore in 1989. He went on to become the Managing Director of several major energy service companies, including Hydrasun, Maersk UK, Salamis, WoodGroup, and Rigblast.

His major business success came with Hydrasun, an oil & gas hydraulics systems provider. In 2007, Bob led a management buyout of the company, purchasing it for £75 million, and shortly thereafter took the reins as CEO. Under his leadership, Hydrasun’s revenue grew from £25 million to over £100 million in under a decade.

Today, Bob Drummond is the CEO of D2Zero, a pioneering company focused on decarbonisation and clean energy solutions. D2Zero has created businesses with revenues exceeding £500 million and a workforce of 4,000 employees.

28. Larry Kinch – Oil & Gas Exploration

Estimated Wealth: £85m

Larry Kinch, an Aberdeen-based entrepreneur, is known for his Hollywood lifestyle and his impressive global property portfolio. He owns a Malibu mansion previously belonging to actress Sandra Bullock and has homes spread across the globe. A passionate race car collector, Kinch has owned some of the most iconic vehicles in motorsport history, including Jim Clark’s original Lotus 25 and Michael Schumacher’s 2002 Championship-winning Ferrari.

Born to a Canadian father and a Scottish mother, Larry began his career at the age of 16 as an apprentice engineer at a paper mill in Aberdeen. His early work with BP in Qatar, and at Shell and Schlumberger, set the stage for his future ventures. At 32, in 1985, he co-founded Petroleum Engineering Services, a North Sea oilfield services company, which he later sold to Halliburton for £111 million.

In 1997, Kinch co-founded Venture Production, a leading offshore oil exploration company, which was sold to Centrica in 2009 for £1.3 billion.

Larry also attempted to diversify into the fracking industry, securing 110,000 acres of land in England. However, his plans were halted when Suni Rushak overturned Liz Truss’s support for fracking in the UK, bringing his venture to an abrupt end.

27. Peter Tait – Fishing

Estimated Wealth: £82m

Peter Tait, a former pupil of Fraserburgh Academy and Inverallochy Primary School, is the owner of the Fraserburgh-based Klondyke Fishing Company and Denholm Seafoods. His company operates some of the largest and most modern trawlers in UK waters. The Tait family is one of just five families who control 80% of the fishing rights in the UK.

Peter made headlines in Aberdeen when he purchased the most expensive house ever sold in the city, a £3 million property in Rubislaw Den.

While his business success is impressive, Peter Tait is not without controversy. His company faced significant fines in the early 2000s after illegally landing fish. However, his fleet has continued to thrive, with the highest-paid trawler captain in the UK earning a staggering £2 million in salary in 2024. His crews are among the best-paid fishermen in the country.

In 2024, the company achieved sales of £40 million, with a profit approaching £29 million.

26. Ian Suttie – Property and Oil

Estimated Wealth: £90m

Ian Suttie is arguably one of the most controversial figures on the Aberdeen Rich List. He began his career as an accountant before founding the Oil & Gas services company Orwell Group, which he sold to Weatherford International, a US giant, in 2001 for $250 million.

In 2005, Ian was cleared of tax fraud after testifying in court that he had never looked at his bank balance and did not realise he had accumulated £180,000 in interest, including £21,000 owed to the Treasury.

More recently, Ian has been involved in a very public legal battle with his brother, David, over the ownership of a car number plate (21S). The dispute has cost the brothers more than £1 million in legal fees, though they currently co-own the plate.

At one point, Ian was listed as the richest person in Scotland, though much of his fortune was tied to speculative assets rather than realised value. He once owned the Kraken Oilfield, which was believed to contain $10 billion worth of recoverable oil and gas. The Kraken was the largest undeveloped oil field in the North Sea still in private hands at the time. However, after the 2014 oil crash and a lack of appetite to develop the field, his company, First Oil, went into liquidation with significant debts. This led to a £172 million loss for his lenders, BNP Paribas. Enquest and Cairn Energy subsequently took over his stake in the Kraken.

25. Graham Wood – Hotels – Bars – Property Development

Estimated Wealth: £90 million

Graham Wood, a graduate of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, is a prominent figure in the hospitality and property development sectors. He is best known as the owner of The Chester Hotel, widely regarded as the finest luxury hotel in Aberdeenshire.

Beyond hospitality, Graham has a diversified business portfolio. He is a co-founder of Actiph Water, a fast-growing brand in the functional drinks market, and plays a key role in Oak Venture Capital, a private investment firm he operates alongside his brother Garreth Wood and business partner Nic Wood. As of 2024, Oak Venture Capital reported assets valued at £23.4 million, marking it as a significant player in private equity and investment in the UK.

Together with his wife, Gillian Wood, Graham founded the JEllie Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting local charities across the North East of Scotland.

24.Shaun Ross – Founder of Metrol Technology (Photo Unavailable)

Net Worth Estimated at £90 Million

Shaun Ross, aged 66, is the visionary founder behind Metrol Technology established in 1995. Initially, Metrol specialized in high-pressure, high-temperature oil well testing for major oil and gas industry clients.

In 2001, Metrol made a breakthrough by developing one of the world's first wireless communication systems for oil wells, capable of remotely controlling subsea valves and equipment located at the bottom of deep wells. This innovation paved the way for further advancements in Fly-by-Wire technology for controlling remote subsea oilfield equipment—a significant milestone in offshore oil and gas automation.

Metrol Technology rarely sells its advanced systems. Instead, it operates on a highly profitable equipment rental model. This unique approach has proven extremely lucrative: in 2022, the company reported global sales of £37 million, with a remarkable gross profit of £29 million.

Beyond energy tech, Shaun Ross’s business portfolio spans a wide array of industries. He holds significant interests in the film industry, with affiliations to Bankside Films, Headgear Films, and Kreo Films Corporation. .

23.Johanna Basford – Publishing & Bestselling Author

Estimated Net Worth: £90 Million

Johanna Basford, born in 1983 near Ellon, Scotland, grew up on her parents’ fish farm in Auchnagatt, Aberdeenshire. She graduated from the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee in 2005 with a degree in Textile Design.

Her creativity and vision led to the creation of the world’s first colouring books for adults, a concept that revolutionized the publishing industry. During the Covid-19 lockdown, her business skyrocketed, cementing her as an unsung success story from Aberdeenshire.

To date, Johanna Basford has sold over 35 million books worldwide, with total global sales exceeding £800 million. In recognition of her contributions to art and publishing, she was awarded an OBE in 2016.

In 2019, she broke the Guinness World Record for the Largest Drawing by an Individual, completing a stunning floral piece covering over 501 square meters.

Her list of prestigious commercial clients includes Sony, Nike, Tate Modern, and Starbucks. She was also commissioned by Queensberry-Hunt, a ceramics manufacturer, to create hand-drawn designs for a special tableware collection.

Her limited edition print runs sell out instantly, and she is proudly recognized as Scotland’s second most successful living author, only behind J.K. Rowling.

22. John Ray – Rigblast | Property | Oil & Gas Services

Estimated Wealth: £100m

John Ray began his career in the 1970s as a painting contractor on offshore oil and gas platforms. In 1974, he founded Rigblast, a company that would become a household name in the oil and gas services industry. Rigblast specialised in providing scaffolding and remote access teams for maintenance work in hard-to-reach areas of oil platforms. The company quickly grew to become the largest and most dominant in its field, with 4,000 employees managing over 300 oil and gas platforms in the North Sea.

In addition to its offshore services, Rigblast also managed the painting of the Forth Rail Bridge in Edinburgh.

After selling Rigblast in a 1996 management buyout led by former Amec manager Sandy Clark, John shifted his focus to property investment, building a substantial portfolio. He currently owns an £18 million house on the River Thames near Henley, and holds commercial property across the UK.

21. Conrad Ritchie & The Ritchie Family

Estimated Wealth: £120m

Conrad Ritchie is the eldest son of Charlie Ritchie, widely regarded as the most successful businessman in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Charlie began his career in the early 1980s working for Sir Ian Wood’s Woodgroup Valves. After seeking investment from Sir Ian to help grow the business and being rejected, Charlie left to start his own company. His first major client was BP, which played a pivotal role in transforming his business. The company he founded became the Score Group, which has since grown to become the world’s largest aftermarket valve stockist for the oil and gas industry, with annual sales exceeding £200 million and a workforce of over 2,000 employees.

Conrad Ritchie, now head of the family business, sold the Ritchie family's stake in Score Group in 2024 for over £100 million. In addition to his business success, Conrad has also been active in politics, standing as a councillor for the Reform Party. He is involved with several charitable causes, including:

• Crimond Community Hub – Charitable Trust (medical and community services)

• Peterhead Prison Museum (a 5-star visitor attraction)

• Men United SCIO (an award-winning men’s mental health charity)

20. Tommy Dreelan – Oil & Gas | Motor Racing

Estimated Wealth: £150m

Tommy Dreelan, originally from Wexford, Ireland, moved to Aberdeen in 1977. In 1986, he co-founded his first oil-related company with his three brothers. Over the years, the Dreelan family sold two oil services and engineering businesses, Qserv and PSL, for a combined total of more than £160 million.

A passionate motor racing enthusiast, Tommy heads the Celtic Speed team, competing in Porsche 911 races. The team also owns a collection of classic F1 and Le Mans cars. After selling PSL for £45.5 million, the Dreelans went on to develop Qserv, an oil and gas services company. In 2001, they sold Qserv to Aker Solutions for £165 million.

In 2013, Tommy suffered a major setback when five of his cars, worth £500,000, were stolen from his home in Aberdeen.

19. Sir Jim Milne – Balmoral Group | Hotelier | Property

Estimated Wealth: £158m

Sir Jim Milne founded the Balmoral Group in 1980 with just five employees, initially focused on designing and manufacturing glass-reinforced plastic products. Today, the company is a global force, employing over 1,000 people and delivering engineering and manufacturing solutions to the subsea, renewable energy, civil, and environmental sectors.

The son of a farmer, Jim was raised on land that now houses Balmoral’s headquarters in Aberdeen. His success has expanded well beyond engineering—he owns a significant property portfolio, including commercial developments in Altens, Aberdeen. In 2024, he added the prestigious Marcliffe Hotel to his holdings.

His personal journey has been marked by tragedy. After losing his wife Jill to cancer when their daughters were just 3 and 8, Jim was driven by a deep desire to create a better life for his family. Now aged 85, he remains actively involved in business, showing no signs of slowing down.

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18. Tom Cross – Oil & Gas | Parkmeade Group

Estimated Wealth: £160m

Tom Cross is one of Scotland’s most successful oil executives, best known as the founder of Dana Petroleum plc. A First-Class Engineering graduate from Exeter University, Tom began his career in senior roles with companies such as Conoco, Thomson North Sea, Louisiana Land and Exploration, and served as Director of Engineering at the UK Petroleum Science and Technology Institute.

His breakthrough came after a bold venture into Western Siberia, where few dared to operate. Under his leadership, Dana drilled over 20 successful wells, many costing under $10,000 each. Dana's strategic partnership with Russian oil giant Lukoil accelerated its growth, and the company soared to revenues of £500 million with annual profits exceeding £96 million. In 2010, Tom sold Dana to Korea National Oil Corporation in a landmark $1.7 billion deal.

He later acquired the historic Midmar Castle—along with 185 acres of land—for £3 million and built an extensive property portfolio across North-East Scotland. In 2009, he was Scotland’s highest-paid company director, earning a staggering £18 million.

Today, Tom leads the Parkmeade Group, which is expanding into renewable energy, continuing his legacy of innovation and strategic vision in the energy sector.

17. Michael Freeman – CAN Offshore | Oil & Gas Services

Estimated Wealth: £160m

Michael Freeman founded the CAN Group in 1986, building it into one of the leading providers of rope access, maintenance, and asset integrity services for the global oil and gas industry. Headquartered in Aberdeen, CAN Group employs over 1,000 people and generates annual revenues exceeding £100 million.

The company carved out a key niche in the offshore sector by offering specialist inspection and maintenance solutions for hard-to-reach areas on oil platforms and infrastructure. Over time, CAN expanded its capabilities into Asset Integrity Management, helping clients monitor and mitigate the risks of equipment fatigue and failure in harsh offshore environments.

Michael Freeman’s vision and leadership have made CAN Group a cornerstone of the North Sea oil services sector and a trusted name globally in offshore engineering.

16. Doug Duguid – Oil & Gas Services & Renewables

Estimated Wealth: £180m

Doug Duguid began his career as a mechanical engineer in the oil and gas sector, but quickly proved himself as a visionary business leader and dealmaker. He rose to prominence through his work with PSL, a specialist provider of engineering and equipment rental services for major tooling in the oil and gas industry.

Doug led a management buyout of PSL, scaling the company internationally and boosting its revenues to over £110 million. He sold the business to Halliburton for £120 million, marking the beginning of a remarkable entrepreneurial journey.

Not content to rest on his success, Doug went on to found EnerMech Group, an Aberdeen-based start-up that grew into a global engineering services powerhouse across the energy, infrastructure, and power generation sectors. With a workforce of 3,500 and annual revenues of £500 million, EnerMech was eventually sold to Lime Rock Partners in a deal estimated at £490 million.

Now turning his attention to the future, Doug is tackling new challenges in the renewable energy sector with his latest venture, Aurora, which delivers engineering solutions to support the global transition to clean energy.

15. Tony Quinn – Pet Food, Confectionery & Motorsport

Estimated Wealth: £260m

Tony Quinn’s journey from humble beginnings to multimillionaire entrepreneur is nothing short of remarkable. Born and raised in a wooden caravan in Aberdeen, Tony started working in his father Jimmy’s small-scale pet food business from a young age.

At 21, he purchased his first company, a sign-writing business in Aberdeen, which he sold a few years later for double the price. With that momentum, he moved to Australia in 1980, where he would lay the foundations of his empire.

In the 1980s, Tony founded V.I.P. Petfoods, which would grow into one of the leading pet food brands in Australia. In 2015, he sold the business for £415 million, but cleverly negotiated to retain a 10% stake—a savvy move, as the company was later sold again for £1 billion.

Not stopping there, Tony acquired the struggling Darrell Lea confectionery brand for £11 million, turning it around and eventually selling it for £200 million.

An avid motorsport enthusiast, Tony also built Highlands Motorsport Park in Central Otago, New Zealand in 2013—now a landmark destination combining high-octane racing with world-class tourism appeal.

From pet food to racing circuits, Tony Quinn has proven himself a master of reinvention and smart investment.

14. Martin Dickie – BrewDog Co-Founder, Brewing Pioneer

Estimated Wealth: £290m

Just as there’d be no Apple without Steve Wozniak, there’d be no BrewDog without Martin Dickie. The technical mastermind behind the craft beer revolution, Martin brought the brewing knowledge, passion, and precision that helped transform a startup into a global drinks phenomenon.

Raised in Scotland, Martin’s fascination initially lay with distilling, not brewing. That passion led him to study brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh—a course that would shape his future. After gaining experience brewing in England, he returned to Scotland and teamed up with his long-time friend and drinking buddy, James Watt, to launch BrewDog in 2006.

While James became the outspoken public face of BrewDog, Martin preferred a lower profile, focusing on crafting exceptional beers. Their partnership was a perfect balance—James with the bold marketing moves, Martin with the brewing brilliance.

Their big break came when they entered a Tesco beer competition. In a blind taste test, BrewDog swept the board—claiming first, second, third, and fourth places. Energised, they took their idea to the bank for working capital loans. Rejected, they walked across the street to a rival bank, bluffed about having a loan offer, and walked away funded. The brewery was built, Tesco orders flooded in, and the rest is history.

Though he avoids the spotlight, Martin Dickie’s role in the rise of BrewDog is undeniable. Quietly brilliant, he remains the beating heart of the beer.

13. Steven Ferguson – Ferguson Group, Oil & Gas Logistics

Estimated Wealth: £298m

Steven Ferguson is the founder and former CEO of the Ferguson Group, a logistics powerhouse that played a crucial role in transporting vital equipment to offshore oil platforms. Starting out in the small village of Kintore in the 1980s, Steven built the business from the ground up—eventually turning it into one of the largest logistics providers in the North Sea oil industry.

The Ferguson Group specialised in the design and rental of transportation containers for oilfield equipment, later expanding into the development of blast-proof accommodation modules used on offshore platforms around the world. Under Steven’s leadership, the company grew beyond the UK, establishing operations in Norway, the UAE, Singapore, and Australia.

After three decades at the helm, Steven sold the business in 2014 for £320 million, marking one of the region’s most successful Oil & Gas exits. From a humble base in Aberdeenshire to a global logistics empire, Ferguson’s journey is a testament to strategic growth and quiet determination.

12. James Watt – BrewDog | Brewing | Beer | Investment

Estimated Wealth: £300m

James Watt, co-founder and former CEO of BrewDog, is by far the most high-profile entrepreneur on this list. Born in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Watt studied Law and Economics at the University of Edinburgh. He shared a flat with childhood friend Martin Dickie, who was studying distilling at Heriot-Watt University. After a brief stint as a trainee solicitor—just two weeks—Watt turned his back on the legal world and returned to the sea, earning his captain’s license and working as a professional fisherman. In his spare time, he began home brewing.

In 2006, Watt and Dickie launched BrewDog from a small shed in Fraserburgh, with Watt stepping into the role of CEO. Just a year later, the duo famously applied to appear on Dragons’ Den—and were rejected. Unfazed, they opened their first bar in Aberdeen in 2009 and pioneered the use of crowdfunding in the drinks industry with their now-famous "Equity for Punks" campaign, raising £2 million from fans to help expand the business.

By 2012, BrewDog had moved brewing operations to a state-of-the-art facility in Ellon, which continues to serve as its global HQ. In 2018, US private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners acquired a 22% stake in the company for £213 million, valuing BrewDog at over £1 billion.

While the company has courted controversy over the years—from marketing tactics to workplace culture—there’s no denying the scale and speed of BrewDog’s success. Under Watt's leadership, it became one of the most recognisable craft beer brands in the world and is arguably the most successful start-up to emerge from Aberdeenshire in the last three decades.

11. Douglas Craig – Craig Group | Shipping & Offshore Services

Estimated Wealth: £300m

The Craig Group story began over 80 years ago when trawler skipper George Craig Sr launched a small fleet of three coal-fired, steam-powered deep-sea trawlers operating out of Aberdeen. What started as a modest fishing venture has evolved into one of Scotland’s most enduring and successful family businesses.

Today, the company is helmed by Douglas Craig, George’s grandson, who has guided the group through a remarkable transformation. During the height of the North Sea fishing boom in the 1970s, the Craig fleet peaked at 23 vessels, fishing in the waters off the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and the north-east Arctic, alongside contemporaries like Sir Ian Wood.

As the fishing industry waned and the oil and gas sector surged, Douglas made the bold decision to pivot. The Craig Group transitioned its fleet to serve the energy sector, offering emergency response and rescue services to offshore oil platforms. This strategic shift cemented the company’s relevance and ensured its growth in a changing economy.

Now, the Craig Group boasts a turnover of over £120 million, with more than 1,000 employees across the globe. In the past decade, the company has invested over £250 million to build 22 cutting-edge vessels. With operational hubs in Houston, Cape Town, Ghana, and Poland, the Craig Group remains a global force in offshore marine services.

From humble beginnings to international reach, the Craig family’s legacy continues to thrive under Douglas’s leadership.

10. Nicky Walker – Walkers Shortbread | Food & Drink

Estimated Wealth: £320m

Walkers Shortbread is arguably Scotland’s most iconic export—a product so universally recognised that you’ll find it in airport shops from Tokyo to Toronto. The origins of the company trace back to 1898, when Joseph Walker, a 21-year-old baker from Torphins, Aberdeenshire, opened his first bakery with a £50 loan and a simple mission: to create “the world’s finest shortbread.”

As demand grew, Joseph expanded operations to Aberlour, purchasing a horse and cart to increase distribution. The business passed through generations, thriving under Joseph’s son Jim Walker, who elevated the brand to international acclaim. By the 1960s and ’70s, Walkers Shortbread was gracing the shelves of high-end department stores like Harrods, and exporting to over 60 countries worldwide.

Today, the business remains family-owned and fiercely independent, with Nicky Walker, Joseph’s great-grandson, now serving as CEO. Under Nicky’s leadership, Walkers continues to grow while staying true to its heritage and traditional recipes.

The company now generates annual revenues of £180 million, employs over 1,500 staff, and maintains a reputation for quality that few food brands can match. Walkers isn’t just a business—it’s a Scottish institution, and the Walker family’s commitment has ensured its legacy remains strong for over 125 years.

9. George Maxwell – Eland Oil & Gas | Oil & Gas Exploration

Estimated Wealth: £350m

George Maxwell is the CEO of Eland Oil & Gas, a company based in Aberdeen that has made significant strides in the Nigerian oil industry. A graduate of Robert Gordon College in 1986 with a degree in Business Studies, George’s career began when he joined Texaco as a petroleum economist. He also held roles at ABB and Addax Petroleum, where he gained invaluable experience and insights from its entrepreneurial founder, Jean Claude Gandur.

George’s mantra is simple: “Opportunities are only limited by your drive and ambition.” He believes the oil industry is classless, rewarding hard work and ingenuity.

At Addax, George became involved with the OML 40 licence in Nigeria, a critical project where Shell ceased production in 2006 due to security concerns. George and his team saw potential in the asset, and after months of negotiations, they secured a £95 million deal in 2012, purchasing a minority interest from Shell, Total, and Nigerian Agip. Since then, Eland Oil & Gas has been producing around 25,000 barrels per day, making it one of the prominent players in Nigeria’s oil sector.

George enjoys the classic jet-set lifestyle, regularly traveling between Lagos, Abuja, and London, where the AIM-listed company has an office. His hard-earned success is a testament to his tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit, qualities that continue to drive Eland’s growth and success.

8. Alistair Locke – Abbot Group | Motor Fuel Group | Distilleries

Estimated Wealth: £350m

Alistair Locke began his career in investment banking with Citigroup in 1974, specializing in shipping and oil. Gaining a deep understanding of the industry, he made the leap into entrepreneurship by founding his own company in the Far East, where he structured finance packages for investments in ships and rigs. His company was eventually acquired by merchant bank Henry Ansbacher.

Holding a degree in History and Economics from the University of Oxford, Locke went on to become the founder and former chairman of Abbot Group, a Scottish oil services company based in Aberdeen. The company, which provided drilling services to the oil and gas industry across Africa, the North Sea, and Sakhalin Island, Russia, was sold for £906m in 2008.

Further diversifying his portfolio, Locke is also the Founder and Chairman of Motor Fuel Group, the UK’s largest owner of petrol station forecourts. His entrepreneurial success earned him the title of Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999. In 2019, Locke and his stepson Alex Christou co-founded Glenrinnes Distillery, launching Organic Speyside Vodka and Organic Speyside Gin, adding to his growing business ventures.

7. Klaas Zwaart – Oil & Gas | Motor Racing | Investments

Estimated Wealth: £560m

Although Klaas Zwaart is no longer based in Aberdeen, his fortune was made in the city, which is why he remains on this list. In 1979, Klaas found himself in a £9k a year salary role at Shell's offices in Tullos, Aberdeen, presenting a revolutionary idea for a new piece of drilling equipment to his bosses. Seeking funding to develop his concept, he was advised by his superiors to focus on his day job and abandon his "dreams." Undeterred, Klaas used his own funds to build a prototype in his garage. Returning to Shell with the working model, he was granted approval to trial the device, which reduced drill time by 30%.

In 1980, Klaas founded Petroline, and after his trial's success, he transformed offshore drilling operations. His innovation became the industry standard, with other contractors quickly adopting his design. In 1999, he sold Petroline to Weatherford for £100m.

After this, Klaas diversified his investments into medical research, developing one of the first fingerprint scanning devices, which read the fourth layer under the skin. He also ventured into the world of sports cars, creating the Ascari brand and building a £50m race track resort in southern Spain.

Klaas is also known for his Formula 1 car collection, valued at around £30m. His investments and assets, many of which are outside the UK, make calculating his exact wealth challenging, but his entrepreneurial success is clear.

6. Dave Cormack – Software & Football

Estimated Wealth: £600m

Dave Cormack is a prominent figure in both the software industry and football, serving as the Chairman of Aberdeen Football Club. He is also the founder of several successful software ventures, including Soft Systems, MiracleWorkers, and Brightree, and is currently the Chairman of Curve Dental Software.

Cormack’s entrepreneurial journey began with Soft Systems, which he sold to Atlanta-based IQ Software in 1995. He then moved into healthcare recruitment, founding MiracleWorkers.com, a platform he sold to CareerBuilder.com in 2000. In 2005, Cormack launched Brightree, a business management and clinical software company. He served as President and CEO of Brightree until its acquisition by ResMed for $800m in 2016.

In July 2024, Cormack was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business from Robert Gordon University. He is also a co-founder of the Cormack Family Charitable Foundation, alongside his wife Fiona, which supports various causes.

5. Martin Gilbert – Finance, Investment & Consulting

Estimated Wealth: £700m

Martin Gilbert has had one of the most illustrious and influential business careers in Aberdeen’s history. A key player in some of Britain’s largest financial deals, Gilbert’s journey is marked by both triumph and controversy. Born into a Scottish rubber-planting family, he was educated at Robert Gordon's College in Aberdeen, later studying law and accountancy at the University of Aberdeen.

In 1982, Gilbert joined the investment department of local law firm Brander & Cruikshank. A year later, he led a management buyout of the department, forming Aberdeen Fund Managers in 1983 with just £10,000 in capital and £70m of assets under management. However, his career faced a major setback in 2002 when the company suffered heavy losses. This led to Gilbert being summoned before the Treasury Select Committee, where he faced criticism, with the committee chair describing him and Aberdeen Asset Management as “sophisticated snake-oil salesmen.” During this time, the company’s share price plummeted by 97%, and it ended up paying £125m in compensation.

Despite this, Gilbert went on to build the company into a major force in the financial world. In 2014, he acquired Scottish Widows Investment Partnership from Lloyds Banking Group for £550m, expanding Aberdeen’s assets to £325bn. However, his defining achievement came in 2017, when Aberdeen Asset Management merged with Standard Life in a deal worth £11bn, creating the UK's largest fund manager and the second-largest in Europe with £670bn under management.

Today, Gilbert is recognized as one of the most successful and influential figures in Aberdeen’s business history, cementing his legacy as an elder statesman of the financial world.

4. John Clark – Car Dealership

Estimated Wealth: £700m

Although not originally from Aberdeen, John Clark has earned his place in the Aberdeen Rich List due to his pivotal role in the city’s car industry. John Clark is one of the most successful car franchise dealers in history. In the 1960s, Lothian Sports Cars opened a showroom on Broomhill Road in Aberdeen, which later became John Clark Specialist Cars, where he sold second-hand BMWs.

During the oil boom of the 1980s, John would buy BMWs from central Scotland, drive them to Aberdeen, and have them sold by noon the next day. Born in Edinburgh in 1947, John grew up near the Le Mans-winning Ecurie Ecosse racing team base, forging friendships with F1 legends like Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart. At 17, he joined Ford on a management training scheme and later worked at Meadowfield Garage, a Ford dealership.

From these modest beginnings, John Clark Motor Group has grown to generate £1bn in annual sales, making him one of the most successful figures in the UK car dealership sector.

3. Trond Mohn – Framo & One Subsea – Oil & Gas - Inheritance

Estimated Family Wealth: £1.1bn

Trond Mohn, a Buckie-born billionaire businessman and philanthropist, is the owner of the family-run company Frank Mohn AS, which operates under the brand Framo. Founded in 1938 and based in Norway, Framo is a leading supplier of submerged cargo pumps to the Oil & Gas tanker market.

Trond earned his economics degree from the University of Mannheim, Germany, in 1970. In 1986, he took the helm as CEO of the family business. Today, Trond Mohn is one of only three billionaires on our list, although due to the diverse nature of the companies within the group, estimating an overall sales figure for the business is challenging.

2. Sir Ian Wood – Fishing & Oil & Gas – Rig Maintenance – Philanthropy

Estimated Wealth: £1.9bn

Undoubtedly the most exceptional entrepreneur on our list, Sir Ian Wood stands out not only for his success but for his sheer determination and vision. Unlike all other Billionaires on this list, he did not inherit his family fortune. Starting with a modest fishing company employing just 30 odd people, Sir Ian boldly ventured into the Oil & Gas industry in the late 1960s, despite his father's objections.

In 1972, Sir Ian made a transformative move by purchasing the John Lewis shipyard in Torry, Aberdeen for £1.2m after an eye-opening trip to the Houston Oil Show. By 1973, he had already rented half the yard to Chevron for £3m a year. His first major oil contract came in the mid-1970s, when he secured a deal with Shell to provide maintenance teams for the new oil rigs. During this period, Sir Ian also founded Woodacon, which became the UK's largest independent fuel distributor.

Over the years, Sir Ian diversified his ventures, creating the largest property development in Aberdeen's history in 1980, with a 1,000-home development in Cove. His empire expanded into shipbuilding, oil rig construction, logistics, shipping, and at one point, he owned much of the land around Aberdeen's industrial estates. By the time of his retirement in 2012, his company was valued at $12bn with $6bn in annual sales, employing 60,000 people.

In 2013, Sir Ian sold all the shares in the company he founded. Through his charity foundation, he has since raised and donated nearly £400m, lifting over 60,000 tea farmers in Africa out of poverty. Sir Ian Wood is undoubtedly the last great industrialist of our time and remains by far the most successful living entrepreneur to have founded a business still in Aberdeen.

1. Glenn Gordon – Whisky – Glenfiddich – Distilling - Inheritance

Estimated Wealth: £3.1bn

Glenn Gordon is the great-great-grandson of William Grant, the founder of one of Scotland’s most iconic whisky dynasties. William Grant & Sons Ltd., established in 1887, remains a family-owned powerhouse in the Scotch whisky industry. The company distills some of the world's most famous whiskies, including Glenfiddich, Kininvie, The Balvenie, and Drambuie.

Glenn Gordon served as the Managing Director of William Grant & Sons from 1992 to 1999 and has held the position of Chairman since 2012, following the leadership of Peter Gordon. Under his stewardship, the Glenfiddich brand has become the world's best-selling single malt whisky, with around 2 million cases sold globally each year. Glenn Gordon stands as the wealthiest Scottish-born individual on our list, continuing the legacy of the family business in the whisky world.

The story of the Richest Self made man in Aberdeen's History - Sir Ian Wood