2. JP McManus
Estimated worth: $1 Billion
Born in Limerick, McManus began his business career at his family’s construction plant hire firm, and then became an on-course bookmaker at Limerick’s Markets Field greyhound track. He later moved into horse ownership and punting and laying horses on the advice of his associate Jimmy Hayes.
In 1982, he and his wife, Noreen, a former mental health nurse, bought Martinstown Stud on over 400 acres (1.6 km2) in County Limerick from the McCalmont family. McManus’s first horse was Cill Dara, which had been owned by the late Edenderry solicitor and gambler, Tim O’Toole. McManus is now National Hunt racing’s largest owner, with over 100 horses in training. In 2006, he built a €20 million residence next to Martinstown Stud. In 2013, he completed a €150 million home in Barbados