Monday December 6th, 1999

Formula One supremo, Bernie Ecclestone, is the richest person in Britain - according to a study published by EuroBusiness magazine.

Ecclestone's wealth, according to the magazine, exceeds that of the Queen of England, who has been previously perceived to be the richest person in the UK. However, Queen Elisabeth appears second to Ecclestone this year.

Ecclestone is not, however, the wealthiest person in Europe; he comes 48th in that list, with Liliane Bettencourt, the owner of the French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, in the number one slot, and according to the magazine, her wealth greatly exceeds that of Ecclestone's.

Ecclestone's wealth was estimated at £2.4 billion, compared with the Queen's £2 billion and that of Bettencourt - £9.2 billion.