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John Whittaker

Whittaker, 65, who wants to spend £5.5 billion on Liverpool’s Central Docks, made more than £750m last year selling 49% of Mersey Docks, which he bought in its entirety for £771m in 2005. Whittaker’s Peel Land has a £158m stake in UK Coal, where shares have risen on hopes that it will develop its land portfolio. We can see £2,074m of net assets in his four main companies, with his overall stake worth an estimated £1.410m. Assets including property and £6m dividends a year take Isle of Man-based Whittaker to £1.5 billion.