Rich List 2019
Out now: The definitive list of Australia's wealthiest people, now in its 37th year.
See who made the cutRevealed: Australia's 200 richest people
Property remains the main vehicle by which fortunes are made. But those in tech are easily the quickest builders of wealth in a record-breaking Financial Review Rich List.
- Exclusive
- Rich List
Jack Ma: My life after Alibaba
As Jack Ma prepares for life after Alibaba, he reflects on the ways his special relationship with Australia has shaped his objectives for the future.
Lawrence Ho eyes higher stake in Crown
The Hong Kong gaming tycoon has purchased a 20 per cent stake in James Packer's Crown in a deal worth $1.76 billion - but is open to buying more after probity checks.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Packer closer to reaching two key goals
James Packer has plenty of options following the sale of 20 per cent of Crown Resorts to Lawrence Ho's Melco Resorts and Entertainment - including selling more stock into any potential takeover offer.
ASX to rise, Wall St edges higher
Australian shares are poised to open higher though investors remain wary of the US-China trade dispute.
New squeeze on big banks
The prudential regulator is poised to give smaller banks a leg up in the first of a series of announcements
- Exclusive
- Trump diplomacy
Scaramucci warns on trade war costs
The US President's handling of the China trade dispute could end up costing him his presidency as financial markets and the economy falter under the strain, says the former White House aide.
Rich List 2019
Meet Australia's newest Rich Listers
Many of the record number of 22 debutants represent fortunes being made very quickly.
How moguls are still playing the property game with confidence
Today's property markets are presenting challenges for some but for these Rich Listers, opportunities abound.
Rich Lister Anthony Pratt's four rules of business
The man at the top of this year's list, Anthony Pratt, talks about what he learnt from his father, and what he hopes his children will learn from him.
New billionaire Justin Hemmes' empire of escapism
The Rich Lister used his parents' support to achieve billionaire status for the family by turning prime Sydney venues into entertainment wonderlands.
Hungry Jack's is set to get even richer (from vegans)
Burger boss Jack Cowin has a major opportunity squarely in his sights as he works to make a Whopper with fake meat.
Business
AGL Energy beaten to the punch at Vocus Group
Swedish PE firm EQT appears to have beaten one of the country's biggest companies in the $3.3 billion battle for Vocus.
7-Eleven opens its first cashless and cardless store in Australia
The store has no physical counter and customers will scan items and transact for goods via the 7-Eleven app on their phone, linked to a credit or debit card.
Amcor ordered to sell assets before completing Bemis takeover
US regulators have ordered Amcor to sell three factories before it can proceed with its $9.8 billion takeover of Bemis.
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
APRA's pay commandments get closer
The prudential regulator is weeks away from releasing new standards for banker pay that seem certain to emphasise non-financial pay metrics.
Business hits back at Canavan on carbon price
The Coalition may have won the recent federal election but the issue of a carbon price won't go away.
Woolworths to cut specials to restore trust
First it was Coles, now Woolworths says it's too reliant on discounting and wants to move to more consistent everyday pricing.
Spirits flying but beer, wine flat as trends drive M&A
Changes in alcohol consumption are triggering a wave of M&A in the alcohol sector, including the potential sale of the Jacob's Creek wine brand.
Markets
Uber loses $1.4 billion in quarter
Uber's loss in a single quarter was larger than that of North American rival Lyft in all of last year, though it fell in a range of earlier guidance.
Why quant fundie Olivia Engel prefers 'boring' stocks over FAANGs
State Street Global Advisors quant fund manager Olivia Engel warns growth stocks such as FAANGs are just a sugar hit.
Bond bears see dreams of 4pc Treasury yields vanish
In the $US15.9 trillion US Treasury market, it's increasingly looking like a fool's errand to remain a bond bear.
Goldman steers stock pickers towards ETFs
Active fund managers faced with dwindling liquidity in individual stocks should use exchange-traded funds to navigate the market tumult, Goldman Sachs says.
Oil heads to worst month of year
Oil was poised to post its worst month this year after a smaller-than-expected withdrawal from US storage facilities fuelled worries about weakening demand.
Opinion
Morrison ready to keep foot on Labor's throat
Labor faces a big test on whether it will pass the income tax cuts. If it doesn't, Morrison will be ready to whack them as enemies of getting ahead.
Political Editor
Surprise victory faces its real test
Scott Morrison has won government but he now has to win the economic and political challenge of governing, writes Jennifer Hewett.
Columnist
The opportunity society that spurns class warfare
Australia’s rich are distinguished from the US and Europe for their lack of aristocrats, old-time monopolists and robber barons.
Editorial
Our growth stocks are world's most expensive
Fund managers who have rightly shunned Australian growth stocks as too expensive are being punished.
Columnist
Politics
'Lower prices and we'll get out': government tells energy companies
Energy Minister Angus Taylor said the government had little desire to intervene in the energy sector.
- Opinion
- Super wars
Australians don't want a Dickensian retirement
Australians want to have a high standard of living in retirement, and they are prepared to pay for it via a 12 per cent super guarantee, writes Martin Fahy.
Coalition to fast track farm protection laws
New Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie backs live sheep shipments to the Middle East and lashes out at "agri-terrorists"
Fair Work raises minimum wage by 3 per cent
Fair Work has rejected the ACTU's case for "a living wage" for single-earner families, saying it would run "a significant risk of disemployment".
- Opinion
- Federal election
How Labor is gradually losing its western Sydney heartland
The swing against Labor in its heartland of safe seats was almost triple the national average. Albanese has a big job to appeal to these diverse seats.
SPONSORED
World
- Opinion
- Tax cuts
Analysis of the US tax cut shows it's done virtually no economic good
New research finds the cuts have had virtually no effect on wages, haven't contributed to a surge in investment, and haven't paid for themselves.
- Opinion
- Japan
The joys of turning 55 in a greying society
In many ways, countries look to Japan for lessons on how to age gracefully.
New PNG PM pledges to 'take back economy' from foreigners
James Marape easily won a parliamentary leadership vote on Thursday and is promising to take PNG in a new direction.
'Slowbalisation' far more than tariffs, Morgan Stanley Says
Morgan Stanley sees multiple higher barriers to global trade and increasing value chain shifts.
Mueller's message flummoxes a divided America
Special counsel Robert Mueller has finally spoken but in words so opaque they resembled a political Rorschach test, writes Peter Baker in Washington.
Real Estate
Perth 'as good as it’s likely to get' for rental affordability
With little new housing stock - especially at the lower end - the WA capital is in for a time of surging rents when the market picks up.
No joy yet for housing construction as approvals sink
While the picture may be changing for house prices, dwelling construction remains subdued.
Sentinel buys Brisbane's Makerston House from Challenger for $103m
The deal - the largest to date for the Brisbane-based syndicator - was struck a net passing yield of 7.85 per cent
Mirvac share price falls after capital raising but is trading well
It is understood Mirvac's institutional placement offer was oversubscribed twice.
Lenders slash rates as confidence in revival grows
NAB, Westpac, ING are aggressively responding to the prospect of a rate cut and signs that the property market is improving.
Personal Finance
- Opinion
- Sharemarket
Air-conditioning giant set to grow with climate change
An increasingly warmer climate is underpinning demand for Deakin's air-conditioning products, and in regions where incomes are also rising.
Lenders slash rates as confidence in revival grows
NAB, Westpac, ING are aggresively responding to the prospect of a rate cut and signs the property market is improving.
How to deal with a spouse's inherited pension
The $1.6 million transfer balance cap continues to be an issue for readers, writes John Wasiliev, who answers your questions about superannuation.
Technology
- Opinion
- Microsoft
Bing's no longer tech's laughingstock
While Bing failed to compete with Google in web search, it generates more revenue for Microsoft than either LinkedIn or the company's line of Surface computers.
Husic promises to stay vocal as tech sector laments his demotion
Ed Husic's removal from shadow cabinet has been met by dismay from the tech and start-up sector, which viewed him as "head and shoulders" above other politicians.
Gmail gets the Snapchat treatment
Gmail users rejoice - a new feature can make emails disappear and stop recipients from forwarding, copying, downloading or printing emails.
Leadership
- Opinion
- Rear Window
Forrest's entanglements with Buru Energy's Eric Streitberg
We wonder if it's not just ecological expertise Andrew Forrest's been picking up in his studies.
Courts cast wary eye over class action deals
There is growing judicial scrutiny of class actions and pressure on the government to act.
Lifestyle
Live the spa life in a Tuscan castle
COMO Hotels and Resorts founder Christina Ong has embraced la dolce vita with Castello del Nero, a grand Tuscan castle.
How a lost painting restored an artist nun to her place in history
It took a sisterhood to save the first great woman painter of the Renaissance from obscurity, one adopted saint at a time.
Chanel refreshes a classic watch after 20 years
The brand's top watch designer spent five years finessing a piece he loved and tweaked everything so you’d notice almost nothing.
- Opinion
- Motoring
Would you like a little bit of Ferrari with your Stelvio Quadrifoglio?
Alfa Romeo's record-breaking SUV comes with an engine that makes it faster than some recent supercars, writes Tony Davis.
Perisher opens early after big week of snow
Perisher ski resort is opening early, on Friday, after several days of extreme blizzard conditions dumped more than 75cm of snow on the slopes.