Netflix‘s latest drama, ‘House of Guinness,’ introduces us to Ireland’s richest brewing dynasty, following Benjamin Guinness’s four children as they clash over a fortune built on pints.
And as it turns out, the real Guinness dynasty is still very much alive today. The family not only continues to hold aristocratic titles but also manages vast estates and extraordinary wealth. At the centre of it all is Arthur Edward Rory Guinness, better known as Ned, the current Earl of Iveagh, and the man who represents the Guinness legacy in the 21st century.
Ned, The True Guinness Heir
When Arthur Edward Rory Guinness inherited the title of Earl of Iveagh in 1992, he was just 23. Overnight, he went from being a young man to the head of one of the most famous families in the world. Along with the title came Elveden Hall, the Guinness family’s 22,500-acre Suffolk estate, complete with farmland, forestry, and livestock.
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It was (and still is) a working estate. We’re talking cows, pigs, sheep, potatoes, and yes, Christmas trees. Believe it or not, the land even grows around 10% of the UK’s onions. Not exactly glamorous, but very profitable. Overnight, he became the youngest hereditary peer in the House of Lords. For a while, he made his mark as a crossbencher. However, politics didn’t last long; in 1999, Tony Blair’s reforms led to the dismissal of 667 hereditary peers.
That same year, Ned sold the family’s beloved Irish home, Farmleigh, to the government for a cool €29.2 million (£18.9 million). Once his childhood playground, the estate is now the official crash pad for world leaders visiting Ireland.
All that wealth contributed to his net worth over the years. Today, the Guinness heir, Ned, is 56, with a fortune estimated at £856 million, which keeps the Guinness family comfortably on the Sunday Times Rich List. The dynasty may have been built on beer, but now it goes beyond the brewery.
The Guinness brand itself has been under Diageo’s control since a 1986 merger with Grand Metropolitan. Even so, the family held a stake once valued at £200 million in 2017. Beyond brewing, earlier generations had placed bets overseas as well, investing heavily in Canadian land. To make it accessible, they even funded Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge. Decades later, that foresight still pays off; the family retains 4,000 acres in Canada through British Pacific Properties.
Besides that, Ned will release ‘Guinness: A Family Succession,’ co-written with historian Antonia Hart, this October, where he’ll share unseen letters and photos from his family archives that’ll give us a fresh perspective on the Guinness history and contribute to his family wealth as well.
Love, Scandal And The Next Generation Of Guinnesses
Like any good dynasty, there’s drama beyond the balance sheets. In 2002, Ned married Berkshire-born interior designer Clare Hazell, who became the Countess of Iveagh. They went on to have two sons: Arthur, 22, next in line for the title, and Rupert, 20.
But not all was smooth sailing. In 2021, reports surfaced that Clare had filed for divorce. With nearly £900 million on the line, the split was tipped to be one of the costliest in British history. A source at the time claimed Clare had felt unhappy for years, believing the marriage hadn’t been a priority. Neither she nor Ned publicly commented, leaving much to speculation.
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Through it all, Ned has stayed rooted at Elveden, overseeing land, legacy, and the Guinness name. His eldest son is preparing to step into his shoes, ensuring that when the time comes, the Earl of Iveagh title and the Guinness dynasty will continue into another generation.
On screen or off, when it comes to wealth, power, and intrigue, the Guinness heir makes sure the tap never runs dry.
