THE owner of a country estate was last night named as one of the richest men in the world.

Robert Miller, who made his fortune from the Duty Free Shopper chain he co-founded in Hong Kong in 1960, owns Gunnerside estate, Swaledale, North Yorkshire.

Fourteen UK billionaires are in this year's list of the world's richest people, according to figures recently published.

The Billionaires 2000 list in Forbes Global magazine contains more than 450 people and families whose estimated fortunes add up to £1.3 trillion.

Topping the list of UK billionaires with £3.7bn is the Duke of Westminster, followed by supermarket heir David Sainsbury with £2.8bn, and Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson, with £2.24bn.

The list includes three new UK billionaires: the richest Welshman, computer networker and high-tech venture capitalist Terence Matthews; Matalan founder John Hargreaves; and Mr Miller.

Microsoft boss Bill Gates, whose fortune was estimated at £68bn last year, still tops the list with £40.8bn.

Oracle's Larry Ellison takes second place with £31.9bn, after shares in his company rose more than 500 per cent in the past year, according to the magazine.

Out of the UK's billionaires, only the Duke of Westminster and family make it into the list's top 100, at number 58.

The UK lags behind Germany, which boasts 39 of the magazine's list of billionaires, but beats France's 13.

The list of 450 includes 50 new names, three from India, six from the US, six from Canada and 15 from Japan.