The owner of one of the region's largest estates has continued to grow his and his family's fortune to put him on the cusp of breaking into East Anglia's exclusive billionaire bracket.

Eastern Daily Press: Kirsten Rausing. Picture: KEITH HEPPELLKirsten Rausing. Picture: KEITH HEPPELL (Image: Cambridge Newspapers 2002)

Lord Iveagh and the Guinness family, who own the 22,500 acre Elveden Estate near Thetford and produce 6pc of the nation's onions, now have a fortune £922m - up £32m from last year and meaning he is not far off becoming on the third billionaire in the region.

The family's wealth is revealed in the Sunday Times Rich List, which shows that Kirsten Rausing - a member of the Jockey Club who runs two stud farms in Suffolk - remains by far and away East Anglia's richest person with a personal wealth of £10.848bn.

That is nearly 10 times that of her nearest challenger, property mogul Jon Hunt.

Mrs Rausing's wealth - which derives from Tetra Laval packaging group, owned by her family - rose by £1.188bn in the past year, meaning her increase was more than Lord Iveagh and the Guinness family's entire fortune.

Eastern Daily Press: Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans. Picture: IPSWICH TOWN YOUTUBEIpswich Town owner Marcus Evans. Picture: IPSWICH TOWN YOUTUBE (Image: Archant)

Ipswich Town owner and chairman Marcus Evans is fifth on the regional list with a fortune of £800m, up £35m

Robert Watts, the compiler of The Sunday Times Rich List, said: 'The rich are certainly getting richer - and those in this part of the world have enjoyed a particularly strong year.

'There is not a single faller in our East Anglia list this year.

'You don't often find an earl and a proud gypsy in such close proximity, but the Earl of Iveagh and caravan park tycoon Alfie Best illustrate how wealth creation has become more diverse in our country over the 30 years we have been compiling The Sunday Times Rich List.

Eastern Daily Press: Lord Iveagh. Picture: SIMON PARKERLord Iveagh. Picture: SIMON PARKER (Image: Archant)

'Fortunes associated with land, property and finance all feature prominently in our East Anglia Rich List, but technology is becoming an increasing big part of the picture and it will be very interesting to see whether our own Silicon Fen will come to challenge Silicon Valley in the years ahead.'

Nationally Jim Ratcliffe, 65, chief executive of Ineos, topped the Sunday Times Rich List with a fortune of £21.05 billion, leapfrogging his way from 18th place last year.

Sir Philip Green and Jamie Oliver saw their fortunes slide.

Richest people in East Anglia

? 1: Kirsten Rausing - £10.848bn, up £1.188bn

? 2: Jon Hunt - £1.4bn, up £40m

? 3: The Earl of Iveagh and the Guinness family - £922m, up £32m

? 4: Douw Steyn and family - £900m, up £50m

? 5: Marcus Evans - £800m, up £35m

? 6: David and Patricia Thompson - £730m, no change

? 7: Mike Lynch - £469m, no change

? 8: Mark Burnett and Roma Downey - £390m, no change

? 9: Ray O'Rourke and family - £306m, no change

? 10: Jonathan Milner - £300m, up £93m

? 11: Paul Day and family - £295m, up £20m

? 12: Edward Atkin and family - £267m, no change

? 13=: Alfie Best - £250m, up £90m

? 13=: Michael Gooch and family - £250m, no change

? 15: Ewan Kirk - £225m, no change

? 16: Bill, Tim and Pollyanna Gredley and family - £217m, up £23m

? 17=: Graham Peacock - £200m, no change

? 17=: Gordon Sanders and family - £200m, up £7m

? 17=: Susan Tobbell - £200m, no change

? 20: Andrew Hill and family - £193m, up £55m