| Scotland, says Fentener van Vlissingen, needs "to create more excitement than the tired old monster of Loch Ness". Introducing wolves and lynx into the countryside should do the trick, says the Dutch-born environmentalist. "In this century there are no known cases of anybody being eaten by wolves in Europe, and there are thousands of people living among wolves in Canada and Alaska," he counsels. Fentener van Vlissingen, who tops the Rich List in Scotland, bought the 81,000-acre Letterewe estate in Ross-shire 20 years ago for £2.4m and declared: "I saw it on a still day and my first impression was the absolutely timeless beauty of it. There was something that was so far beyond the human, little heartbeat. I felt I was buying something much bigger than myself." The 62-year-old likes the space to write poetry and paint, and is something of a philosopher. His fortune stems from SHV Holdings, a Dutch conglomerate built up over seven generations embracing oil and gas refining, retailing, transport and financial services but probably best known in Britain for owning Makro, the cash-and-carry wholesaler. Quote 500, the Dutch rich list, estimates his fortune at £900m, but because SHV invests in a range of quoted companies, his holding will be worth much less now, in line with falling stock markets. We reckon his stake is worth £600m. We add £50m for his Scottish estate and other assets, including a converted London pub.
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£420m
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