The Guinness family today is still one of the wealthiest and most storied dynasties to come out of Ireland, with a combined net worth estimated between roughly £856 million and £983 million (about $1.15 billion), according to the Sunday Times Rich List. The family no longer owns or runs the Guinness brewery — that passed to the drinks conglomerate Diageo in 1997 — but its members remain prominent as aristocrats, landowners, fashion figures, writers, and philanthropists across Ireland, England, Italy, and the United States.
That single paragraph answers the headline question. Everything below unpacks it in detail: who currently leads the family, how the fortune is structured now, which branches of the family tree are active, and what individual descendants — from Daphne Guinness to Jack Guinness — are doing in 2026.
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Who Are the Guinness Family Today?
The Guinness family today refers to the many living descendants of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer who founded the Guinness beer business at St. James’s Gate in 1759. Two and a half centuries later, the family is no longer a single household but a sprawling network of relatives spread across at least three major branches: the Iveagh (brewing) branch, headed today by Edward “Ned” Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh; the Moyne branch, currently headed by Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne; and the banking branch, descended from Arthur’s brother Samuel Guinness, which includes public figures such as Sabrina Guinness and her siblings.
Collectively, they hold aristocratic titles, farmland, and a residual financial stake connected to the Guinness name, even though day-to-day control of the beer brand left family hands generations ago.
Is There Still a Guinness Family Today?
Yes — the Guinness family is very much alive and active in 2026. This is one of the most frequently asked questions about the dynasty, largely because the family sold its brewing business decades ago and many people assume that meant the family itself faded away.
That is not the case. What changed is the nature of the family’s prominence:
- Then: The family’s identity was tied almost entirely to running St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin and expanding it into a global beer empire.
- Now: Individual family members are known independently — as models, designers, writers, farmers, philanthropists, and aristocrats — rather than as brewery executives.
Family members regularly appear in British and Irish society coverage, hold hereditary titles (Earl of Iveagh, Baron Moyne, and several baronetcies), and continue to be photographed at fashion and cultural events. The renewed public interest around the family accelerated sharply after Netflix released the historical drama House of Guinness in September 2025, which followed the four adult children of Sir Benjamin Guinness in the 1860s and prompted a wave of “where are they now” coverage about the real-life descendants.
Who Is the Head of the Guinness Family Today?
The current head of the senior Guinness line — the Earls of Iveagh — is Arthur Edward “Ned” Rory Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, born 25 August 1969 in County Kildare, Ireland.
How Ned Guinness became head of the family
Lord Iveagh inherited the earldom at just 23 years old, when his father, Benjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of Iveagh, died in 1992. As a hereditary peer, he initially sat in the House of Lords, though he lost that automatic seat after the House of Lords Act 1999 removed most hereditary peers from the chamber.
What the 4th Earl of Iveagh does today
- He is a businessman and farmer who oversees the roughly 22,500-acre Elveden Estate in Suffolk, England — one of the largest privately farmed estates in the country.
- He was previously married to interior designer Clare Hazell (2001–2021); the couple have two sons.
- His elder son, Arthur Guinness, Viscount Elveden, is the heir apparent to the earldom and the estate.
- In 1999, as head of the family, he oversaw the sale of Farmleigh, the family’s historic Dublin estate, to the Irish State.
A second “head” — the Moyne branch
Because the Guinness family split into separate peerages generations ago, there is also a current holder of the Baron Moyne title: Jonathan Bryan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne (born 16 March 1930), a British peer, businessman, and writer, and the father of fashion icon Daphne Guinness. His heir apparent is his son, the Hon. Valentine Guy Bryan Guinness.
So when people ask “who is the head of the Guinness family today,” the accurate answer depends on which branch is meant — but the most senior title, Earl of Iveagh, sits with Ned Guinness.
The Guinness Family Today: Net Worth Explained
According to the Sunday Times Rich List, the Guinness family’s collective net worth stands at roughly £856 million (about $1.15 billion), ranking the family among the 350 wealthiest in the United Kingdom. Some outlets place the figure slightly higher, between £916 million and £983 million, reflecting the difficulty of pinning an exact number on a fortune spread across dozens of individual family members and estates rather than one shared balance sheet.
Where the money actually comes from now
| Source of Wealth | Status Today |
| Guinness beer brand | No longer family-owned; owned by Diageo since 1997 |
| Diageo shares | Family reportedly held a stake worth around £200 million as of 2017 (per the Irish Independent) |
| Land and estates | Elveden Estate (Suffolk, ~22,500 acres), plus historic Irish landholdings |
| Individual careers | Fashion, design, writing, farming, television production, and finance |
| Historic property sales | Farmleigh (sold to the Irish State, 1999); Ashford Castle (now a luxury hotel); Iveagh House (donated to the Irish State) |
Key statistic
As of a 2017 report by the Irish Independent, the family’s residual shareholding in Diageo was valued at roughly £200 million ($273 million) — a striking figure given the family has had no operational role in the company for nearly three decades.
Why the family’s wealth looks different from the past
Unlike the 19th century, when the Guinness fortune was concentrated in one man — Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, who was once considered the richest man in Ireland — today’s wealth is distributed across many descendants with very different financial lives. Some, like the Earl of Iveagh, manage large agricultural estates. Others, particularly in the banking and Moyne branches, have “ordinary” professional incomes and modest public profiles by comparison.
What Happened to the Guinness Family’s Brewery?
This is one of the most searched questions tied to the topic, so it deserves its own section.
When did the Guinness family sell the brewery?
The process happened in two major stages:
- 1886 — Going public. Edward Cecil Guinness (later the 1st Earl of Iveagh) floated roughly two-thirds of the company on the London Stock Exchange, making Guinness a publicly traded company rather than a family-run private business. He remained the largest shareholder.
- 1997 — The Diageo merger. The Guinness brand became part of Diageo plc after a merger between Guinness and Grand Metropolitan, ending direct family control of the business entirely.
Is Guinness beer still brewed in Dublin?
Yes. Diageo continues to brew Guinness at St. James’s Gate in Dublin, the site Arthur Guinness leased in 1759. However, global distribution, marketing, and corporate strategy are managed entirely by Diageo, not the family.
Could Guinness be sold again?
Guinness had a record year for Diageo in 2023, and the brand has performed strongly even as the wider spirits industry faced headwinds in 2024. Diageo has reportedly considered listing Guinness as a standalone business at points, and analysts (per Bloomberg) have estimated the brand alone could be worth at least $10 billion — though Diageo has stated it is not currently putting Guinness up for sale.
The Guinness Family Tree Today
The modern Guinness family tree traces back to Richard Guinness (born around 1690), whose son Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) founded the brewery. From there, the family split into two founding brothers’ lines — Arthur’s, which became the “brewing line,” and his brother Samuel Guinness (1727–1795), which became the “banking line” behind Guinness Mahon, founded in 1836.
Simplified line of succession — Earl of Iveagh
| # | Name | Dates as Earl | Notes |
| 1st Earl | Edward Guinness | 1919–1927 | Took the company public in 1886 |
| 2nd Earl | Rupert Guinness | 1927–1967 | Inherited Farmleigh and 80 St Stephen’s Green |
| 3rd Earl | Benjamin Guinness | 1967–1992 | Bibliophile; died 1992 |
| 4th Earl (current) | Edward “Ned” Guinness | 1992–present | Manages Elveden Estate; sold Farmleigh in 1999 |
| Heir apparent | Arthur Guinness, Viscount Elveden | — | Ned’s elder son |
Key branches at a glance
- Iveagh branch — the senior title-holding line, based around Elveden Hall in Suffolk.
- Moyne branch — descended from Walter Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne; produced writer Bryan Guinness, Diana Mitford’s first husband, and later Daphne Guinness.
- Ardilaun branch — descended from Arthur Edward Guinness, Baron Ardilaun, a politician and philanthropist.
- Banking (Guinness Mahon) branch — descended from Samuel Guinness; includes Sabrina Guinness, her twin sister Miranda, and siblings Hugo Guinness, Anita Guinness, and Julia Samuel.
- Desmond Guinness branch — descended through the conservationist Desmond Guinness and Mariga Guinness (born Princess of Urach); this line includes model and designer Jasmine Guinness.
The Three Main Branches of the Modern Guinness Family
1. The Iveagh (brewing) branch
This is the most senior branch and the one most closely tied to the brewery’s original wealth. It is currently headed by Ned Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, and centers on the Elveden Estate in Suffolk. Members of this branch historically served as chairmen of the Guinness company itself, right up until the 1990s.
2. The Moyne branch
Descended from Walter Guinness, 1st Baron Moyne — a politician assassinated in Cairo in 1944 — this branch is now headed by Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne. It is famous for its connection to the Mitford family: Jonathan’s mother was Diana Mitford, one of the six celebrated (and controversial) Mitford sisters. This branch includes fashion designer Daphne Guinness.
3. The banking branch
Founded by Samuel Guinness through Guinness Mahon bank in 1836, this branch is less connected to the beer business and more to finance, media, and the arts. Sabrina Guinness (television producer), her twin sister Miranda (journalist), and siblings Hugo Guinness (artist/writer), Anita Guinness, and Julia Samuel (psychotherapist and a godparent to Prince George) all descend from this line.
Members of the Guinness Family Today
Here is where prominent, living members of the family stand as of the most recent reporting.
Daphne Guinness — fashion icon and musician
- Born 9 November 1967; daughter of Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne, and granddaughter of Diana Mitford and Bryan Guinness.
- Known as an avant-garde fashion designer, musician, and former muse to designers including Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld.
- Was married to Greek shipping heir Spyros Niarchos from 1987 to 1999 and has three children.
- Has described the Guinness name as “a blessing and a curse.”
Jasmine Guinness — model and designer
- Born 28 September 1976; daughter of Patrick Guinness, granddaughter of conservationists Desmond and Mariga Guinness.
- An Irish fashion model and designer active since the mid-1990s, with a portrait held in London’s National Portrait Gallery.
- Married to Gawain Rainey since 2006; the couple have three children.
Ivana Lowell — writer and House of Guinness creator
- Granddaughter of Ernest Guinness (one of the three brothers depicted in Netflix’s House of Guinness).
- Co-creator of the Netflix series alongside Steven Knight; has spoken publicly about wanting to dramatize her own family’s history, telling Vanity Fair the family “would make such a good TV series.”
Sabrina Guinness — television producer
- Born 9 January 1955; from the banking branch, descended from Samuel Guinness.
- A television producer known for shows including Pass the Mic; previously in a relationship with then-Prince Charles; married playwright Sir Tom Stoppard in 2014.
Julia Samuel — psychotherapist and royal godparent
- Sabrina Guinness’s sister; a psychotherapist and co-founder of the charity Child Bereavement UK.
- Close to the British royal family and named a godparent to Prince George in 2013.
Jack Guinness — model, writer, and LGBTQIA+ advocate
- A model and writer best known for founding The Queer Bible, an online resource celebrating LGBTQIA+ history and culture.
Amber Guinness — food writer
- A cookbook author and food writer now based in Italy rather than the UK.
Hugo Guinness — artist and writer
- Brother of Sabrina Guinness and Julia Samuel; works as an artist and screenwriter, and has collaborated with filmmaker Wes Anderson.
Table: Quick reference of notable living members
| Name | Branch | Known For |
| Edward “Ned” Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh | Iveagh | Head of the family; farms the Elveden Estate |
| Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne | Moyne | Peer, businessman, writer |
| Daphne Guinness | Moyne | Fashion designer, musician |
| Jasmine Guinness | Desmond Guinness line | Model, fashion designer |
| Ivana Lowell | Ernest Guinness line | Writer, co-creator of House of Guinness |
| Sabrina Guinness | Banking | TV producer |
| Julia Samuel | Banking | Psychotherapist, royal godparent |
| Jack Guinness | — | Model, writer, LGBTQIA+ advocate |
| Amber Guinness | — | Food writer, based in Italy |
| Hugo Guinness | Banking | Artist, screenwriter |
Where Is the Guinness Family Today? (Homes & Estates)
The family has sold off several of its most famous historic properties over the decades, while retaining others.
Properties the family has sold
- Farmleigh (Dublin) — sold to the Irish State in 1999 by the current Earl of Iveagh.
- Iveagh House (Dublin) — donated to the Irish State in the 1930s; now houses Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs.
- Ashford Castle (County Mayo) — no longer family-owned; now operates as a five-star luxury hotel.
Properties still connected to the family
- Elveden Hall and Estate (Suffolk, England) — the current seat of the Earl of Iveagh, spanning roughly 22,500 acres and among the largest privately farmed estates in England.
- Various smaller historic residences and landholdings tied to individual branches, including former homes such as Biddesden House and Leixlip Castle, remain associated with different parts of the extended family, though ownership has shifted across generations.
Where do individual members live now?
Family members today are spread well beyond Ireland and England. Notable examples include Amber Guinness, who has settled in Italy, and various members of the extended family based in London, New York, and the Irish countryside — reflecting how thoroughly international the modern Guinness family has become compared with its 18th- and 19th-century Dublin roots.
Guinness Family Today vs. the 19th-Century Dynasty
| Aspect | 19th-Century Guinness Family | Guinness Family Today |
| Business control | Owned and personally ran the brewery | No ownership; brand belongs to Diageo |
| Wealth structure | Concentrated in one head of family (e.g., 1st Earl of Iveagh) | Spread across many descendants and branches |
| Public role | Brewers, MPs, philanthropists | Fashion designers, writers, farmers, producers, therapists |
| Key properties | Farmleigh, Ashford Castle, Iveagh House, St Stephen’s Green | Primarily Elveden Estate, Suffolk |
| Estimated wealth | 1st Earl alone: roughly £12 million (~$2 billion today) | Whole family: ~£856 million (~$1.15 billion) |
| Public visibility | Tied to the brewery’s reputation | Tied to individual careers and the Netflix series |
The Guinness Family and Netflix’s House of Guinness
Netflix’s 2025 historical drama House of Guinness, created by Steven Knight together with Guinness descendant Ivana Lowell, dramatizes the lives of Sir Benjamin Guinness’s four adult children — Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben — in 1860s Dublin and New York, following the aftermath of their father’s death.
How today’s family has responded
- Ivana Lowell, the most publicly involved family member in the show’s production, has said the events depicted are largely accurate, remarking that “in our family, anything goes — it’s the same today as it has always been.”
- Daphne Guinness, while not involved in producing the series, has spoken about it publicly, reflecting on the dual weight of both the Guinness and Mitford names in her life.
- Most other prominent modern descendants — including Jasmine Guinness, Sabrina Guinness, and Jack Guinness — have continued their own public careers independent of the show, though the series has renewed broad public curiosity about “where the real family is now.”
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Key Takeaways
- The Guinness family is still active today, with an estimated collective net worth of roughly £856 million to £983 million.
- The family no longer owns the Guinness beer brand, which has belonged to Diageo since a 1997 merger.
- Edward “Ned” Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, is the current head of the senior branch of the family and manages the 22,500-acre Elveden Estate.
- The family has split into several branches over time — Iveagh, Moyne, Ardilaun, and banking — each with its own notable modern members.
- Prominent living descendants include Daphne Guinness, Jasmine Guinness, Sabrina Guinness, Julia Samuel, Jack Guinness, and Ivana Lowell.
- Historic family properties such as Farmleigh and Ashford Castle have been sold; Elveden Hall remains the main family seat.
- Netflix’s House of Guinness (2025), co-created by family member Ivana Lowell, renewed public interest in the real-life descendants.
FAQs About the Guinness Family Today
Is there still a Guinness family today?
Yes. The Guinness family remains a large, active family spread across Ireland, the UK, Italy, and the US, even though it no longer owns the Guinness brewery itself.
Who is the head of the Guinness family today?
Edward “Ned” Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh, is head of the senior brewing branch. A separate title, Baron Moyne, is currently held by Jonathan Guinness within another branch of the family.
What is the Guinness family’s net worth today?
Estimates from the Sunday Times Rich List place the family’s collective net worth at around £856 million (about $1.15 billion), with some estimates reaching closer to £983 million.
Does the Guinness family still own Guinness beer?
No. The family sold a majority stake in 1886 when the company went public, and full corporate control passed to Diageo in 1997 following a merger with Grand Metropolitan.
Is Guinness beer still brewed in Dublin?
Yes, Diageo continues to brew Guinness at the original St. James’s Gate site in Dublin, though the family has no operational role in the business.
What happened to the Guinness family’s homes, like Farmleigh and Ashford Castle?
Farmleigh was sold to the Irish State in 1999. Iveagh House was donated to the Irish State in the 1930s. Ashford Castle was sold and is now a luxury hotel. The family’s main remaining seat is Elveden Hall in Suffolk, England.
Who are the most famous members of the Guinness family today?
Widely recognized modern members include fashion designer Daphne Guinness, model and designer Jasmine Guinness, television producer Sabrina Guinness, writer Ivana Lowell, and model/writer Jack Guinness.
Is the Guinness family related to the cast or creators of the Netflix show House of Guinness?
Yes — the 2025 Netflix series was co-created by Ivana Lowell, a real descendant of Ernest Guinness, working alongside screenwriter Steven Knight.
How is Daphne Guinness related to the original Guinness family?
Daphne Guinness descends from the Moyne branch: her father is Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne, and her grandparents were writer Bryan Guinness and Diana Mitford.
Why does the Guinness family have so many different branches?
Because the family has been prominent for over 250 years, it split early into a “brewing line” (descended from Arthur Guinness) and a “banking line” (descended from his brother Samuel Guinness), which itself later split further into titled branches such as Iveagh, Moyne, and Ardilaun.
Is the Guinness family part of the British aristocracy?
Yes. Through titles such as Earl of Iveagh and Baron Moyne, the family holds hereditary peerages and is considered part of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy.
Where does the Guinness family live now?
The main family seat today is Elveden Estate in Suffolk, England. Individual family members live in locations including London, Dublin, New York, and Italy.
Conclusion
The Guinness family today looks very different from the brewing dynasty depicted in House of Guinness, but it is far from a story that ended with the sale of the beer business. What remains is a wide, multi-branch family — worth close to a billion dollars collectively, still holding aristocratic titles and a major English estate, and still producing publicly recognizable figures in fashion, writing, television, and philanthropy. The brewery may belong to Diageo now, but the Guinness name, and the people who carry it, are still very much part of public life in 2026.
