Yorkshire Rich List: 20 richest people in Leeds including Jet2 founder and luxury car dealer

The city’s top tycoons have been compiled in a new listing for this year courtesy of Insider Media’s Yorkshire Rich List.

Among those is Leeds-born Steve Parkin, who was inspired by an advert for Yorkie chocolate bars to become a truck driver, and eventually set up the delivery firm Clipper.

Here is the full list of the 20 richest people in the city that have been included in the latest edition of the Yorkshire Rich List:

Philip Meeson and family, 78

2025: £750m

2024: £730m

Transport: Package holidays

The former RAF pilot and acrobatics ace pulled off one of the greatest business pivots of all time. In 1983 Meeson bought a small company ferrying fresh flowers and other produce from the Channel Islands to the mainland.

After expanding the carrier’s fleet, he plotted a different course - transforming the group into Jet2, now the UK’s leading package holiday brand.

Steve Parkin, 64

2025: £530m

2024: £509m

Transport: Home delivery services

Parkin has joined the exodus of wealthy Brits leaving the country and is now based on the low-tax island of Jersey. The former coal miner made his money from logistics business Clipper, which grew quickly off the back of the internet retail boom.

Wealth in Parkin’s private jet and racehorse companies are also up nearly £6m.

Lawrence Tomlinson and family, 61

2025: £524m

2024: £464m

Construction: Care Homes

A man of contrasts, Tomlinson juggles the worlds of care homes and high-octane motorsport. His manufacturer Ginetta recently unveiled the Akula, a £275,000 supercar that can hit 62mph in 2.9 seconds from a standing start.

Tomlinson owes his real money to LNT Group, a developer on track to build its 300th care home.

Paul and Johnny Caddick and family, 75 and 44

2025: £516m

2024: £515m

Construction: Housebuilding

Miner’s son Paul Caddick still chairs the property group and Johnny oversees Moda Living, a subsidiary delivering rental developments in major cities. The Caddicks also have most of the shares in Leeds Rhinos rugby club and own Headingley, the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.

Earlier this year, the Caddicks secured planning permission to build a 4,000-home village near Cattal.

Roderick Evans and family, 63

2025: £460m

2024: £462m

Property: Hotels, industrial buildings and retail parks

The Evans’ family’s real estate group develops, manages and owns property projects ranging from Dakota hotels, offices, logistics hubs, civic buildings, log cabins and university facilities. There are 65 commercial buildings in the group and 500 acres of agricultural land.

Mark Hunter, 63

2025: £425m

2024: £385m

Business services: Software developer

BJSS, the Leeds IT consultancy Hunter started with business partner Andrew Vincent, was sold to the Canadian group CGI in January. The deal valued BJSS at around £675m.

Taking account of tax on the sale, a run of payouts and a hefty property portfolio takes Hunter to £425m. His other interests include stakes in craft brewing and fine wines.

Frank Hester, 59

2025: £318m

2024: £395m

Business services: Software developer

Hester has made less money from his IT contractor TPP than he has donated to the Conservative Party in recent times. Over the past two years TPP has paid out £17m of dividends to Hester, who owns all of the Leeds-based software firm.

But over a similar period TPP donated £20m to the Tories. Its technology is now used by 7,800 NHS organisations.

John Tordoff and family, 62

2025: £312m

2024: £360m

Consumer goods: Car dealer

You don’t have to appear in a Rich List to find something affordable in JCT 600’s new Bentley showroom in Leeds - but it helps. A secondhand Bentayga luxury SUV will set you back £214,000. Tordoff runs the dealership chain set up by his late father Jack. Profits fell by more than 40 percent over in a slow year for car sales.

Wayne Earnshaw and family, 61

2025: £300m

2024: £200m

Construction: Drainage services

Last October, investment giant BlackRock took a controlling stake in Lanes Group. The Leeds-based group specialises in creating and repairing drains and sewers. Earnshaw picked up the reins from his father, Allan. There are now more than 20 Lanes sites with nearly 4,000 staff on the payroll.

Nick Howarth and family, 68

2025: £258m

2024: £307m

Construction: Timber supplies

Falling timber prices and the wider cost of living crisis has hit the fortunes of Leeds-based Howarth Timber. Profits fell by more than a fifth to £19.9m. The family-owned chain traces its roots back to 1840 and operates 37 timber and builders merchants and subsidiaries making pallets, packaging and roof batons with 1,000 staff.

Stephen and Paul Harrison, 56 and 54

2025: £231m

2024: £278m

Construction: Housebuilding

The Harrison brothers own and run the Leeds-based housebuilder, setting it up while still in their twenties. Trading was tougher during 2024 - the first full year without the taxpayer-backed Help to Buy scheme.

The Harrisons paid themselves dividends of £4.3m over the past year and payouts in previous years take the pair to £231m.

Erika Wilson, 46

2025: £200m

New entry

Industry: Power infrastructure

Hudson is the sole owner and managing director of Wilson Power Solutions. The Leeds-based manufacturer’s transformers have been earning well from the shift to net zero, providing essential infrastructure for solar farms and electric vehicles.

Hudson’s grandfather Richard Wilson founded the business in 1946. Profits have almost doubled to £25.2m on sales of £95.7m over the past year.

David Wood, 57

2025: £200m

New entry

Food and drink: Baked goods

David Wood Baking supplies major supermarkets with bread, cakes, biscuits, pies and pastries as well pizzas, toasties and ready meals. Wood set up the Leeds-based venture in 2008 after working in the food industry for 20 years.

There are now eight factories across the UK and the workforce has grown to nearly 1,800. A major fire at its site in Dudley has not stopped strong growth.

Chris Bailey and family, 50

2025: £192m

New entry

Construction: Engineering

Bailey’s day job is head of compliance at Transpaygo, a London-based fintech company operating in the world of international money transfers. But he also serves on the board of NG Bailey, his family’s business.

The Leeds-based group was founded more than 100 years ago and prides itself on being the UK’s largest independent engineering and infrastructure services provider.

Sir Andrew Cook and family, 76

2025: £180m

New entry:

Industry: Manufacturing components

Cook is the sixth generation to run his family’s business and has grown revenues to within touching distance of £100m.

With Yorkshire bases in Sheffield and Leeds, William Cook Group makes a wide range of components for the rail, energy and manufacturing clients. Profits more than doubled to £22.5m over the past year - and this was after the payment of a £13.8m dividend.

Patrick and Michael Heneghan and family, 43 and 41

2025: £180m

New entry

Construction: Civil engineering

Heneghan is one of the UK’s fastest-growing companies, increasing revenues by more than 140 percent over the past two years.

Irishman William Heneghan founded the Leeds-based firm, now specialising in everything from housebuilding and installing utilities services to delivering major civil engineering projects. Heneghan builds thousands of homes a year and installs tens of thousands of metres of internet cabling for Virgin Media and other clients.

Jonathan Turner and family, 59

2025: £180m

2024: £180m

Energy: Oil distribution

Over the years their Wetherby-based conglomerate has moved into oil distribution, property, hospitality, mining and electric vehicle charging points. Profits at Bayford jumped to £20.8m on £420m sales in 2022-23.

The family also own the Yorke Arms, an 18th century country inn near Pateley Bridge that has been converted into a luxurious private venue.