David and Simon Reuben

David (born c. 1939) and Simon Reuben (born c. 1942) are well known British businessmen and philanthropists. In the Forbes magazine List of billionaires 2011, ranking of the wealthiest people in the UK, the brothers were placed second with an estimated fortune of £5.5  billion ($8.5 billion). They are joint Chief Executives of Reuben Brothers.

Early life and career

The brothers were born to a Jewish business family. The brothers increased their fortune during the 1970s and 1980s in both metals trading and property. Nearly half their fortune is in liquid assets such as cash and bonds. They are not keen on publicity, but provide some details about their many interests on their personal website.

Metals Business

In the early 1990s the brother invested in the Russian metals market, financing significantly the production and distribution of metals. The Reubens became the world's third-biggest producer of a metal.

At its peak, their company, Trans-World Metals, and its associates controlled five percent of the world's aluminium output. When Russian aluminium smelters were incapacitated by debt. Trans World entered into tolling arrangements with factories in which they paid for and delivered raw materials in return for finished aluminium, which it then sold for profit. The company's investment in Russia was $1.5 billion (£870 million), with global sales in 1995 topping $7 billion.

Their former status as Russia's biggest...
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