Over 500 of the UK’s most economically influential individuals have been identified in a new analysis by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), produced in collaboration with an international team of researchers (1).

The list is made up of CEOs and board members of leading FTSE companies, the chairs of large private firms, and the wealthiest individuals from the Sunday Times Rich List. It also includes those who occupy the highest political offices, as well as influential intermediaries who connect business, finance, and government (2)(3).

It includes leading political figures such as Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, as well as corporate leaders such as Richard Branson, James Dyson and Bernie Ecclestone. However, most powerful individuals are far less well known and are not subject to media or public scrutiny – for instance Craig Hayman and Mark Allen are hardly known, but both have been leading chief executives.

While nearly a quarter of those identified in the list (23 per cent) have received official honours, only 28 per cent appear in the prestigious Who’s Who register, showing that many members of the economic elite remain outside the most familiar public markers of status.

A review of media coverage reveals that half of the UK’s economic elite receive almost no attention in the press, with a typical individual mentioned only around a dozen times. Most keep a low profile, rarely use social media, and make little effort to court publicity, allowing them to operate largely out of public view. While many do have Wikipedia pages and can attract spikes of online interest—often during moments of controversy—this is not matched by sustained or meaningful media scrutiny.

Professor Mike Savage from LSE’s International Inequalities Institute, said: “This level of invisibility is a striking departure from earlier generations of elites, whose status was anchored in land, titles, and a prominent public presence.

“Today, even those with the greatest economic power remain largely unseen by the wider public and, in turn, avoid the kind of scrutiny usually directed at individuals who wield such significant influence. This low profile is reinforced by the fact that many of the most powerful figures are based outside the UK and maintain only limited ties to Britain. As a result, a substantial share of the UK’s economic elite is able to operate with remarkably little public attention.”

In contrast, the analysis shows that a small group of ‘loud elites’ receives far more media attention than the rest — in some cases reaching celebrity‑level coverage. Some actively cultivate this visibility to promote a maverick public image as brave outsiders.

Professor Savage said: “The prominence of these ‘loud elites’ dominates the spotlight and conveniently serves to unintentionally distract from the quieter, less visible activities of the wider economic elite.”

Previous studies have tended to focus on just one component of the economic elite — their wealth, reflected, for instance, in the Sunday Times Rich List; their corporate role, such as the positions occupied by FTSE leaders; or the political power of senior political figures. This latest analysis more systematically centres on all these dimensions simultaneously, and, through the analysis of different sources — from honours to media visibility — offers a more comprehensive view of the UK’s economic elite.