Adele's wealth has risen by $22 million in the last 12 months, making her the richest young musician in Britain.

The 23-year-old "Someone Like You" hitmaker has risen to the top of the Sunday Times Rich List thanks to the huge success of her album 21, which sold in excess of 20 million copies worldwide.

"Adele's been the success story of the past year by a mile. You only get an Adele once every ten years. It's success on a ginormous scale," Steve Redmond, of the Entertainment Retailers Association, told The Sun.

Cheryl Cole, Leona Lewis and Katie Melua are all in second place with an impressive $19 million, while Adele's fellow Brit School alum Jessie J has made her debut appearance on the list for those aged 30 and under, with a fortune of $8 million.