James Dyson ‘Owns More Land In The U.K. Than The Queen’

James Dyson has earned billions from his inventions, especially his once-unique bagless vacuum cleaner.

He has invested much of his fortune in land and property, and now finds himself in the position of owning more land than the Queen, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Dyson’s latest purchase of the 3,000-acre Cranwell and Roxholme estate in Lincolnshire was bought from the Crown Estate, and brings his total area of land to 25,000 acres. This is 5,000 acres more than the land owned by Queen Elizabeth.

There is a general assumption that the Monarchy owns all the estates that are used by the Royal Family, but that is not true.

Ironically, James Dyson, 67, was knighted by the Queen in 2007, after receiving a CBE in 1996 for his services to industry.

Kevin Cahill, author of Who Owns Britain and Ireland, says that Dyson’s recent acquisition has seen his estate portfolio exceed that of many members of the aristocracy.

For example, he owns almost twice the land of the Duke of Bedford, who has an estimated 13,000 acres in Bedfordshire and neighboring counties, 14,000 acres more than the Duke of Marlborough’s 11,000-acre Oxfordshire estate, and more than three times the 7,000-acre Hampshire estate of the Duke of Wellington.

Sir James, together with his family, owns a company called Beeswax Farming, which owns land, machinery, and property worth around $350 million. His personal fortune is estimated to be in the region of $5 billion.

Dyson told the Sunday Times that he was raised in “agricultural north Norfolk.”

He added, “As a schoolboy and college student I used to spend my holidays working on local farms harvesting potatoes, sprouts, parsley and blackcurrants. I’m enjoying farming in Lincolnshire, which is similar to Norfolk.”

He and his wife, Deirdre Hindmarsh, also own a $5 million château in France, and a town house in Chelsea.

Not bad for “re-inventing the wheel,” or, in this case, the vacuum cleaner.

Recently, James Dyson announced a £1.25 billion investment for the development of new products, including robots which can clean floors and do other chores while homeowners are out. He says that he hopes his Dyson technology can also be harnessed to revolutionize farming techniques.

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