Conn Wilson, a member of the family that co-owned Wilson Connolly until September, has been named Britain's highest-earning pensioner in The Sunday Times' Top 500 paylist.
With an annual pay packet of 拢35.3m, the 69 year old came 17th in the overall top earners list, edging out spread-betting tycoon Stuart Wheeler as the highest earner of pensionable age.

Conn's younger brother Lynn came eighth in the Top 500, after pocketing almost 拢47m between 1 October 2002 to 31 September 2003. The Wilson brothers made their money when their family business was sold to Taylor Woodrow in September, making them the second richest family in the country, behind the Moore clan, who sold retail company Littlewoods in November last year.

Other figures in the construction industry that broke into the top 100 included Gary Middlebrook, 56th, who sold housebuilder Merebrook Group to Persimmon, taking 拢12.5m from the deal, as well as dividend payments and a 拢247,000 salary.

Berkeley Group boss Tony Pidgley ranked 67th and David Wilson was 79th. Wilson stepped down as chief executive of the family business Wilson Bowden this year, but gained an 拢8.7m dividend payment.

Enterprise, a building maintenance firm listed on the alternative investment market, proved again that it is a company to be watched with both its chairman, Owen McLaughlin, and its chief executive, Sean Keogh, breaking the top 150.

Norman Foster, 475th, was the only architect to make the list.