More bosses making millions

A record 1455 directors of private and public companies were paid a minimum of £1 million in 2007. according to figures filed at Companies House. The number - which does not include bonuses, benefits and share dividends - represents a 40 per cent rise over the past two years. The figures calculated by Financial Analysis Made Easy relate only to annual salary and not total income. Sir James Dyson, the vacuum cleaner entrepreneur, took home £28.9 million while Badr Al-Aiban of Delta Oil received £27.1 million. The list of £1 million-a-year earners does not include people such as hedge fund managers who make most of their money from performance-related bonuses.

Almost all of the big earners are based in London and the South-East, with only six from Wales.