8. John Magnier

John Magnier doesn’t often lose at anything but last October his Coolmore stud came off on the wrong side of a bidding war with arch rivals Godolphin (owned by Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai). The prize — a half-brother to Group One winner Barney Roy — ended up being the most expensive yearling of the year in Europe at £3.6m (€4.26m) and represented a rare blot in a year which saw the Irish billionaire reach for the first time into double figures in Epsom Derby wins.

The 72-year-old isn’t known as The Boss for nothing. He sits atop a business empire which includes interests in UK nursing home group Barchester Healthcare, Britain’s biggest pub group, Mitchells & Butlers, and Luttrellstown Castle, where David and Victoria Beckham got married.