Alex Langsam

Alex Langsam (born June 1938) is a British businessman. He founded Britannia Hotels in 1976. In 2011, he bought Pontins for an estimated £20 million. The Sunday Times Rich List estimated his wealth as £401 million in 2025. Langsam said in 2011 that his father was the "most nationalistic person I have ever come across" and credited Britain for saving his life. The building had been derelict, and he renamed it the Britannia Hotel, which then became the name of the chain.

In the 2020s, Britannia entered contracts with the UK government to house asylum seekers, earning Langsam the nickname "The Asylum King". Tim Naor Hilton, chief executive of Refugee Action, criticised companies for profiting from the asylum crisis. In the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List, Langsam featured at number 311 with an estimated wealth of £401 million. In February 2026, Langsam was listed 90th on the Sunday Times Tax List with an estimated £12.8 million.

Legal affairs Since 1999, Langsam has had non-domiciled status with the Inland Revenue through his father's Austrian residence. Hacker Young paid Langsam £1 million in a confidential settlement in 2006, without admitting liability. His case was rejected by the High Court of Justice, and at the Court of Appeal in 2013; a judge at the latter said "Mr Langsam's claim is highly unusual, if not unprecedented".