Here we look at some of the wealthiest women from Sunderland or with links to the city. Estimates of their net worth are given in £ or $ depending on the source of the information.
1. Emili Sande
The award-winning singer/songwriter may have grown up in Scotland, but she was born in Sunderland and remains fiercely proud of her Wearside roots - so much so that in 2019, she was appointed as Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, - the place her parents first met when it was still a polytechnic. Emili, whose debut album, Our Version of Events, spent 10 weeks at number one, is also a keen supporter of the Foundation of Light and was one of the first acts to perform at Sunderland Fire Station. Estimated to be worth £6.5million. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN
2. Heather Mills
This former model is far more than just a pretty face. She may best known for her acrimonious divorce from Sir Paul McCartney but the Usworth Comprehensive pupil is a businesswoman in her own right, with a successful vegan food company. She has also been a passionate advocate for disability rights since losing her lower left leg when she was hit by a police motorbike in 1993. She has a reported net worth of $40million. Photo: NW
3. Alison Wright
The subject of an Echo story when she landed a place at New York's prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in 1997, Alison, from Barnes, has appeared in a number of critically-acclaimed US series and movies. Films roles have included The Nanny Diaries and The Accountant, alongside Ben Affleck, while TV work has included The Americans and Castle Rock. She is currently starring in Netflix's TV adaptation of Snowpiercer. Celebworth.net estimates her net worth to be $12million. Photo: Emma McIntyre
4. Lauren Laverne
Lauren Laverne (centre) first found fame as one quarter of alternative rock band Kenickie, alongside brother Pete and St Anthony's schoolmates Marie Nixon and Emma Jackson. The band clocked up four top-40 singles and a top-10 album before going their separate ways. Lauren had already made a move into TV presenting and today she is one of the best-known faces - and certainly voices - on the British airwaves, with her soft Mackem lilt making her a popular choice for voice-over work. A mainstay of the BBC's Glastonbury since 2002, she stepped in to cover for Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs in September 2018 and subsequently became only the fifth permanent presenter in the Radio Four show's 81-year history. Her net worth is estimated to be around £800,000 to £1million. Photo: Sunderland Echo