Michael Platt: UK's richest 'unknown' man

Britain's mystery richest man, who's worth £14billion, lives a life largely under the radar as his own staff don't even know who he is.

Michael Platt, 56, is the richest person in the UK and his immense fortune even surpassed well-known billionaires Sir Jim Ratcliffe and James Dyson, yet his identity remains shrouded in mystery as he stays out of the spotlight.

The publicity-shy hedge fund boss, whose own receptionist hasn't heard of him, once joked to a taxi driver that he's the 'highest-earning person in the world of finance.'

Michael's anony­mity comes to an end earlier this month in his inclusion (along with Ratcliffe and Dyson) in the top 200 of the Forbes’ annual list of the world’s most minted individuals, with a fortune estimated at £14.3 billion.

Back in 2000, Michael and businessman William Reeves co-founded investment firm BlueCrest Capital Management. Now, he’s the richest person in Britain, surpassing petrochemicals tycoon and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe (£13.1 billion) and inventor James Dyson (£10.8 billion), who occupy second and third place in the UK wealth league.

Unlike most hedge funds, it uniquely operates as a personal investment vehicle for its employees and senior partners, instead of external clients, and has racked up billions of pounds for wealthy tycoon Michael.

He isn’t a fan of paparazzi or photoshoots either. Back in 2006, when Michael and William were interviewed by The Times, they refused to be photographed under any circumstances.

“They guard their privacy fiercely and detest their regular appearances in newspaper rich lists,” wrote financial editor Patrick Hosking.

Michael owns homes in London, Switzerland and the US, and has a Bombardier Challenger private jet to travel between them. He is also an art collector.

He shares two children with his ex-wife Helen Sanderson, whom he married in 1995. His eldest son Marcus, who is in his mid-20s, recently joined BlueCrest to follow in his father's footsteps.