Britain’s social (and economic) revolution
If you watched the royal wedding, you’d be tempted to think of Britain’s social order as immutable. While the bride’s background introduced a degree of diversity, the image of Britain as hereditarily hierarchical seemed to be alive and well.
Reality, though, is different. The tectonic plates have shifted significantly over the past half-century, transforming what was once a society dominated by inherited wealth into one where serious money is increasingly in the hands of those who made it – or made most of it – themselves.
London’s Sunday Times began chronicling this almost 30 years ago.
Lacking access to bank accounts and opaque privately-held companies, the Times’ methodology isn’t perfect. But it purports to be a comprehensive look at what it calls “identifiable wealth.” In other words, land, property, significant shareholdings in publicly quoted companies, art and racehorses.