Online Millionaires of 2009
Even though the world is currently experiencing recession, there are still notable persons and families that qualified to be part of the “Rich List”, produced by ‘The Sunday Times’. The names listed are from different industries, but we shall focus on the icons from the online gambling industry that made it.
The owners of the prominent website Bet 365, Peter and Denis Coates, earned the sixth spot on the list due to their joint wealth, amounting to £400 million.
Victor Chandler gained the 13th spot on the list for being “a famous bookmaker in the world.” He manages the Victor Chandler International website. The company was primarily a land-based casino, which his grandfather started. Chandler shares the spot with Mark Shuttleworth, a stakeholder in Thawte Consulting. His company is significant in the online gambling industry since they certify the financial security systems of many reputable online casinos.
Meanwhile, the eminent PartyGaming group had three entries in the list. Russell De Leon and Ruth Parasol, co-owners of the company, had a joint fortune of £700 million. Ruth was a key player in the company’s success since she founded the company as a network of gambling sites in 1997. She later on teamed up with Russell when they wed in 2003. They were recognised as the second placers.
Following them on the list is Anurag Dikshit, another PartyGaming owner with a fortune of £559 million. Landing in the ninth spot of the list is another major stockholder in PartyGaming, Vikrant Bhargava.
The top spot belongs to Peter Cruddas, a security dealer with £1,000 million to boast.