The editorial decisions governing the compilation of the Rich List are published in the newspaper and online as its "Rules of engagement".

[1] The Rich List is not limited to British citizens and it includes individuals and families born overseas but who predominantly work and/or live in Britain.

The editors estimate subjects' wealth from a range of public information, based on values in January each year.

They typically explain their actions by stating: "We measure identifiable wealth, whether land, property, racehorses, art or significant shares in publicly quoted companies.

[6] Jamie Cooper, the former wife of hedge fund manager Sir Christopher Anthony Hohn, was ranked in first place with a giving index of 88.89%, which amounted to donations in 2018 of £299.6 million.