He once explained his philosophy: "If I give the money to the kids it could interfere with their natural evolution. But every generation of aristocrats gets the odd bad apple," said Mr Beresford. "The moral seems to be to work out how much money you really need, retire and get rid of the rest and don't give it to your kids.This is a theory adhered to by Paul Sykes, creator of the Meadowhall shopping centre near Sheffield. Most generations of aristocracy have it beaten into them at Eton and at home that the home and the land is important. He was banned twice for drink-driving, served 12 months on Jersey for smuggling cocaine in his helicopter and then notched up a pounds 3,000 fine for possession.In 1990, he became the first British aristocrat to be deported from Australia after failing to tell immigration authorities about his record.The Marquess of Blandford, son of the Duke of Marlborough, has been banned from driving four times and jailed twice."These two are classic black sheep.

Cases like the Marquesses of Blandford and Bristol appear to be the exception rather than the rule.The Marquess of Bristol has already lost his family estate and blown at least pounds 7m of his inheritance on a decade-long heroin and cocaine binge. Happier endings are found among Jewish and Asian families because their traditionally close family bondings help them cope with the unique pressures, says Mr Beresford."Children in these groups are encouraged to take part in business discussions over meals and the importance of the work ethic is drummed into them from day one," said Mr Beresford.Inherited aristocratic wealthcauses fewer problems. He came to the fore in the 1970s when he converted his small bank into a pounds 58m fortune.His daughter, Suzy, died of a heroin overdose aged 25. Her sister, Gabrielle, began working for Paul Newman's drugs charity.

Mr Dellal's son, Guy, was touched by the drug curse in 1978 when, aged 20, he received a suspended prison sentence in a cocaine smuggling case and was fined pounds 2,500. Debbie was married twice and Howard once, with a further long- term relationship. All four unions failed.The reclusive rich property developer Jack Dellal, known as Black Jack, is another magnate whose fortune has failed to ensure harmony in his family life. Littlewoods has decided to throw its money behind home shopping but the Moores family is still there Peter sold his stake in 1994. Another son, John, retired last year, and a fourth child, Janatha, has long kept her views to herself.Paul Raymond, Britain's "King of Porn", is another who must have nightmares about his legacy. Mr Raymond opened his first Soho joint in 1952, made his fortune with Raymond Revue Bar and augmented it with property deals.His son, Howard, is the only surviving child, and therefore presumed heir to a fortune estimated at pounds 350m.

In the past 15 years the magnate has seen the drugs-related death of his beloved daughter, Deborah, and the casting into the wilderness of Howard for his former addiction to cocaine. But it was Sir John's death in 1993, aged 97, that launched Littlewoods on its bumpy ride. I am very optimistic."Everyone is going along with the view that they will hit the jackpot."The drugs work by blocking the action of neuraminidase, an enzyme "spike" on the surface of the flu virus which enables it to migrate through mucus in the lungs and spread among cells.Dr Fleming said: "It is like fitting a glove over the spike which inhibits its effect. The unthinkable corporate collapse had started to become a distinct possibility.The blow to family pride was crushing. A money-making wheeze dreamt up by Sir John Moores in the dark days of depression in Manchester during the 1920s has spawned separate mail-order and stores divisions with combined sales of pounds 2.7bn.Born of working-class stock, Sir John was an ambitious, ruthless social climber who sent his two sons to Eton and his two daughters to Cheltenham Ladies College and then castigated them for not having his drive.Sir John handed over the reins to his second son, Peter, but returned and squeezed his son out when profits plunged from pounds 49m in 1977 to pounds 11.5m in 1980.