George Savile, 1st marquess of Halifax

George Savile was an English statesman and landowner. During Cromwell's Protectorate, Savile was involved in royalist conspiracy in 1655-6 in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, and his estates were passed to his uncles to preserve them from confiscation. Upon the ascension of Charles II (1660-1685) to the throne his estates were restored and he became one of the largest landowners in Britain, with estate income of £10,000 a year. Savile also profited from his first marriage to the Lady Dorothy Spencer who had a £10,000 dowry.

In 1668 he was created Viscount Halifax, and raised to a marquess in 1682. From 1689 to 1690 Halifax was lord privy seal and chief minister of the crown.

He was worth around £250,000 on his death in 1695. In 2010 that would be around £7.7bn.