Peter Cullum, the Kent-based insurance magnate, has become one of Britain’s richest people after more than doubling his wealth to £1.7billion in the past year.

Mr Cullum, who lives in Sevenoaks and helped to create the rapidly-growing Towergate Partnership, based in Maidstone, is one of the fastest risers in The Sunday Times Rich List 2008.

He soared from 106th spot last year to 40th following a spate of acquisitions. Towergate, founded by Cullum and two colleagues in 1997, is valued at more than £3bn and employs 3,500 staff.

The Management Today Entrepreneur of the Year recently donated £10m to found the Peter Cullum Centre for Entrepreneurship at Cass Business School in London.

Through the Cullum Family Trust, he is also a generous donor to the hospice movement and other good causes.

The Folkestone-based De Haan brothers Roger and Peter are worth £850m, the same as last year, but slip from 78th to 89th.

Roger has invested substantial sums from the sale of the Saga holiday and financial services group in the regeneration of Folkestone, especially the creative quarter.

He owns the Port of Folkestone. The De Haans have also been generous givers, handing out £20.2m in the past year.

Sir Paul McCartney, who lives on the Kent-Sussex border, is still worth £500m (158th) despite his £24.3m payout to former wife Heather Mills.

Fellow rocker Mick Jagger, who grew up in Dartford, falls 28 places to 362nd with assets valued at £225m.

Westerham’s Jacqueline Gold, boss of Ann Summers saucy lingerie and party business, is one of Britain’s wealthiest women, worth an estimated £450m. She is the daughter of Birmingham City chairman David Gold and niece of Ralph Gold, who lives near Lamberhurst, who made their money from adult magazines.

Sevenoaks-based Guy Hands, the private equity investor, and wife Julia, who runs Hand Picked Hotels, which includes Chilston Park and Brandshatch Place, go up from 351st place to 325th(£250m.) Kevin Stanford, co-founder with Karen Millen of the Maidstone fashion chain, is said to be worth £180m (453rd).

Judith and Fergus Wilson, the former schoolteachers who became mega-rich by snapping up Kent properties, have slipped from 397th to 453rd (£180m).

The couple, who live in Boughton Monchelsea, near Maidstone, own more than 800 buy-to-let properties. Their latest scheme is a chain of dental surgeries.

Jon Moulton, the Sevenoaks venture capitalist, runs Alchemy Partners and is said to be worth £135m. He is 20th in the country’s “giving list” after donating £8.6m to good causes.

The Brett family from Canterbury, founders of Robert Brett, the construction and aggregates business, is valued at £112m (717th).

Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal tops the list with £27.7bn, followed by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich on £11.7bn. The Queen, who headed the list in 1989, is now 264th (£320m).