Wigan chairman Dave Whelan maintained his place at the top of this year's Sunday Times Sport Rich List, which was unveiled on Sunday.
Whelan's personal fortune of £190million is sufficient to keep him at the head of the list of current or retired British and Irish sportsmen.
Whelan, 74, qualifies for the list having played professionally for Blackburn and Crew in the 1950s and 1960s before setting up the JJB Sports retail chain.
England and Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham stays second on the list, his personal wealth estimated to be up eight per cent on last year at £135million.
Former rugby union international and businessman Sir Tony O'Reilly (£120m) is third, ahead of former grand prix driver and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Johnny Dumfries (£110m), whose real name - John Crichton-Stuart, the seventh Marquess of Bute - gives some indication of the source of his wealth.
Retired boxer Lennox Lewis is fifth on £95m, while former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine is valued at £80m.
The motor racing theme continues with 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter (£60m) in seventh, ahead of Prodrive boss Dave Richards (£58m).
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has jumped into the top 10 on the back of an estimated 43% increase in his personal fortune to £50m.
The 2008 world champion is tied for ninth alongside two former F1 drivers, David Coulthard and Nigel Mansell. Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Jenson Button is 12th with an estimated wealth of £48m.
The McLaren pair top the list of the richest sportsmen aged 30 or under, ahead of footballers Wayne Rooney (£37m), Steven Gerrard (£27m) and John Terry (£23).
Source: PA
