My morning radio routine is: any time prior to 7am, Radio 5, 7am-8am is Radio 4’s Today, then Graham Liver on our local BBC radio.

Could I believe my ears? The TV bit of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire may be sold off to another conglomerate for £10bn. But as Sir Richard only owns 5 per cent, his personal gain would only be £50 million quid, we were told. Only £50 million!

Relating the story later that day, other questions were raised or begged themselves. I did a spot of left click research.

Not really sure what Forbes is entirely but according to it, the 62-year-old self-made high school drop out is worth $4.2B. Feeling a bit confused as to the €/£ rate and if US billions were the same as UK ones, I switched to the Sunday Times Rich List.

Poor old Richard ranked only 255th in Forbes. In the Sunday Times his £3.4bn wealth ranks him 16th in the UK. It gets you a bit compulsive all this wealth spotting, doesn’t it?

Ranked top and worth treble our Virgin knight is the steel magnate (always made me chuckle as a boy…thought it was magnet!) Mittal family. They sadly lost a few billions last year. Steel oil and pharmaceuticals fund the next few mega-rich including Chelsea bankrolling Roman Abramovich with £9.5bn.

The Duke of Westminster is in there. His £7.5bn stash has been buoyed by property price gains to the tune of around £1/3bn.

I could go on. Property, retailing, mining and the Tetrapak Rausing family are ended by, at No 20, the JCB Bamford family (£3.1bn).

Below this Premier League of wealth are other categories to peruse, starting with women. At 13th in the fairer sex list is former model, born Slavica Radic in what is now Croatia and now former Mrs Ecclestone who, after 24 years and an amicable divorce is making do with her £740m settlement.

Then it goes to a Young List, where I didn’t recognize too many names, I cut and paste a few:- 8. Daniel Radcliffe, Films – £54m 11. Matt Topham and Cassey Carrington, Lottery – £44m. 14. Keira Knightley, Films – £30m. 23. Coleen Rooney, Media – £13m. 24= Cheryl Cole, Music – £12m. 24= Leona Lewis, Music – £12m. 24= Katie Melua, Music – £12m.

We then get into music. Above 3rd placed Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell with £2/3bn are: No 1 - Clive Calder, Music – £1,350m and No 2 - Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Entertainment – £725m. I’m not sure who they are. Simon Cowell’s down at 7th with £225m. The Beckhams as a pair have £190m.

Sports? Yes they are there! “Golden Balls” Beckham is No 1 with £160m (does that mean the wife’s not so posh with only £30m?). Former Blackburn based Dave Whelan has £140m. Lewis Hamilton £55m. Wayne Rooney £45m (Come on Coleen!). Alan Shearer £35m. Lineker only £22m. England centurion Ashley Cole has £15m with richer team mates Lampard, Terry and Cech above him as is Sir Alex with £32m stashed away. Many more run-of-the=mill footballers have £10-20m savings.

It makes for quite intriguing reading as did Sir Richards autobiography Losing my Virginity.

What is it about wealth? Do we resent/envy or admire/accept?

Some of the named also appear in my Private Eye exposing magazine as um “reluctant” tax payers!

What do you think about all this lolly?