The retired footballer lives in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds with his wife, the Spice Girl Victoria Beckham.

They share their £12m mansion in Great Tew, opposite the exclusive Soho Farmhouse club.

Today, it was announced that Sir David has made history and has become Britain’s first billionaire sportsman in the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List.

The collective wealth of Beckham and his wife Victoria passed the billion-pound mark this year, according to the compilers of the list, reaching £1.185bn.

David Austin Roses honours Sir David Beckham with a new English Rose (Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire)

That placed them second in the Sunday Times’ list of wealthiest sportspeople, behind the family of ex-Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, whose wealth was placed at £2bn.

Former England captain Beckham is a co-owner of Inter Miami, estimated to be Major League Soccer’s most valuable club at 1.45bn US dollars (£1.07bn).

He has also made huge sums as a brand ambassador for companies like Adidas and Hugo Boss.

Victoria Beckham’s wealth has primarily been generated from the fashion label she set up in her name, having originally found fame and fortune as a member of the Spice Girls.

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While the Beckhams saw their wealth grow over the last 12 months, Ratcliffe, the co-owner of Beckham’s former club, has dropped down the overall Rich List from seventh to ninth.

His fortune shrank by £1.85bn, according to the list compilers, to £15.194bn.

The list compilers lowered the value of his petrochemicals company Ineos to £17bn owing to “rising debt, falling revenues and a loss of £515.7million”.

That was less of a drop compared to the year before, when the list compilers said his wealth plummeted by over £6bn.

Joining Beckham on the richest sportspeople list are promoters Barry and Eddie Hearn, whose combined wealth was estimated at £1.035bn.

Barry Hearn is the founder and president of Matchroom Sport, one of the leading promoters across boxing, darts and snooker.

His son Eddie is the chairman of Matchroom and is best known as the public face of its boxing division.

Eddie Hearn is the promoter of British heavyweight Anthony Joshua, who is eighth on the list with a fortune of £240m.

That places him above another heavyweight, Tyson Fury, who is ninth on £162m.

Hearn announced last month that Joshua had signed a deal to fight Fury, with no confirmed date or venue as yet.

Seven-time F1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton is fifth on the list (£435m), while back-to-back Masters golf champion Rory McIlroy is seventh with £325m.

England football captain Harry Kane and two-time Wimbledon tennis champion Sir Andy Murray are joint 10th on £110m each.

Three cases were confirmed in the Reading area on Thursday evening, one of which was from a pupil at Henley College who has died.

In a statement on Friday morning, Henley College said: “The Henley College can confirm that one of its students sadly passed away earlier this week.

“Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the student’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

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“We are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UK Health Security Agency.

“Out of respect for the family, we will not be providing further detail at this time.”

The school has not confirmed if it is open today but an eyewitness said it was open on Friday morning with students heading in.

Students queuing for antibiotics at the University of Kent in Canterbury (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Henley MP Freddie van Mierlo said on Friday morning: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the students affected.

“I’m also urging everyone in the area to re-familiarise themselves with the symptoms and signs of meningitis.”

Nearby Wheatley Pharmacy added: “Due to increased local interest around Meningitis B vaccination, we currently have Meningitis B vaccine in stock at Wheatley Pharmacy.”

In a statement issued on Thursday, the UKHSA said that its specialists were “working with local authority and NHS partners following three cases of meningococcal infection (meningitis) in young people in Reading”.

“Dear patients. We have been in contact with the UK Health Security Agency this morning (14th May) regarding the very sad news that a student at Henley College has died with suspected meningococcal disease,” the Hart Surgery in Henley said in a statement on Thursday evening.

“They have confirmed that they are actively contacting those who may be at risk due to a close association with the student involved.

“If you have not been contacted by the UK Health Security Agency, then currently you do not require any treatment. Staff and students have been advised they can attend the college as usual.

“The number of confirmed cases is very low so there are currently no plans for a local emergency meningitis vaccination programme.”

Henley College, in Henley, is a sixth-form college with more than 2,000 full-time students which teaches more than 60 A-level subjects and vocational diplomas, according to its website.

On Thursday, Dr Paddy Woodman, director of student services at the University of Reading, said: “While there are no reported cases among University of Reading students, I know that our students, staff and family members may be concerned.

“We will be contacting students to remind them of existing information about looking out for signs of meningitis, and the importance of acting immediately on any worrying symptoms, as well as checking their vaccination status.”

Two students died in a meningitis outbreak in the Kent area in March – 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, who was described by her family as “fit, healthy and strong” before her death, and a University of Kent student.

Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: “We understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student.

“Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases, however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks as we saw in Kent recently are thankfully rare.

“We are working closely with partners and have provided public health advice and precautionary antibiotic treatment to close contacts of the cases.

“Meningococcal disease does not spread easily and the risk to the wider public remains low.”

Meningitis Now’s chief executive Dr Tom Nutt said: “Everyone at Meningitis Now is deeply saddened and concerned to hear reports of a suspected outbreak of meningitis affecting young people in Reading and the surrounding area, including the tragic death of a young person.

“We would urge people to remain vigilant and aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease. Meningitis can become life-threatening very quickly and early diagnosis and treatment are absolutely vital.”

According to Dr Nutt, symptoms can appear in “any order” and may include a high temperature, severe headache, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion, drowsiness, cold hands and feet, severe muscle pain, and a rash that does not fade under pressure.

“Teenagers and young adults are among the groups most at risk from meningococcal disease, and the recent outbreak in Kent has shown how quickly cases can emerge,” he added.

Jennie Logan, Martyn Sadler and Dave Chester all died in the tragedy on May 15 last year.

Oxfordshire and the firefighting community is remembering the three victims on the anniversary.

The Firefighters Charity said: “Jennie and Martyn embodied everything our fire and rescue services community stands for: courage, service, and selfless dedication to protecting others.

“Jennie, Martyn, and Dave ran towards danger so that others could be safe.

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“Today, we remember them. We honour them. And we hold their families, friends, and colleagues at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and London Fire Brigade in our hearts.

“Many people are still carrying the weight of that terrible night.

“We are here for every member of our fire and rescue services community.

“Our support line is free, confidential, judgement-free – always.

“Please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

The Fire brigade Museum added: “A structural collapse of the building took the lives of Firefighters Logan and Sadler along with Mr David Chester.

“Two further Firefighters were seriously injured in the collapse.

“The cause of the fire and subsequent collapse remain under investigation.

“Jennie Logan was 30 years of age at the time of her death.

“Martyn Sadler was 38 years of age at the time of his death, leaving behind a widow.

“We think of Jennie & Martyn’s family, friends and colleagues on this difficult day.

“May they rest in eternal peace.”

Bicester Town Council added: “Today marks one year since the devastating fire at Bicester Motion — a day that remains deeply felt across our community.

“We remember with sadness the lives impacted, and the families forever changed by this tragedy.

“On this anniversary, Bicester Town Council holds firefighters Jennie Logan and Martyn Sadler, and David Chester — a valued member of our local community — close in our thoughts, along with all those affected, especially their families and loved ones.

“Our hearts remain with them, and we continue to stand together as a community in remembrance, support, and compassion.”

London Fire Commissioner, Jonathan Smith, said: “Today marks one year since the devastating fire in Bicester, where two firefighters and a member of the public lost their lives.

“Leading firefighter/sub officer Martyn Sadler from the brigade and firefighter Jennie Logan from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service died in the line of duty while responding to the fire, alongside member of the public David Chester.

“Firefighters risk their lives every day to protect and save others, and today we reflect on Martyn’s years of dedicated service at the brigade, where he was a valued, respected and much-loved colleague and friend.

“My thoughts and those of everyone at the brigade remain with Martyn’s family, friends and colleagues as we mark the first anniversary of this tragic fire.”