Jeffrey Archer, a former British politician turned novelist, was once the Mayor of London. He was charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice for lying in a 1987 libel case in 2000, and was subsequently imprisoned for two years between 2001 and 2003. While his political career might have ended abruptly, his writing career has flourished for over 40 years.

Archer penned his first novel Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less in 1974 to avoid bankruptcy, and the book was adapted into a TV series by the BBC in 1990. His biggest-selling book, 1979's Kane and Abel, achieved the number one spot on The New York Times Best Sellers list and is widely recognised as one of the world's best-selling books of all time. To date, he has published over 40 titles and sold 320 million copies worldwide, amassing a fortune of $286 million (£210m), according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2021.

The richest writers in the world today