Rich List 2023
Featured
Rich Lister down $160m as Eagers shares crash on profit warning
Australia’s biggest car dealership group warned of a June-half profit drop as household cost-of-living pressures rise.
- Simon Evans
- Exclusive
- Income tax
ATO freezes former Young Rich Lister’s muscle cars, mansion
The flamboyant accountant Steve Di Petta, who has a penchant for Ford Mustangs, is facing allegations he and his wife owe the Tax Office over $3 million.
- Max Mason
How a uni dropout went from Maccas to building a $100m company
Mark Woodland was expanding his education start-up before realising he’d overlooked a critical component for its success and he had to fix it.
- Julie-anne Sprague
- Exclusive
- Tourism
On Hamilton, a family dynasty bets there’s more money in islands
After showing potential buyers around last year, Sandy Oatley and his family are instead developing a new resort as they double down on the island.
- Primrose Riordan
Prezzee co-founder quits Shaun Bonett-owned gift card company
Claire Morris is leaving the group, and resigning as its brand ambassador. It follows a string of senior executive departures in the last 18 months.
- Primrose Riordan
Featured
- Investigation
- Rich Listers
For this Rich Lister, does the reality live up to the hype?
Property mogul and entrepreneur Shaun Bonett has a fortune of more than $2 billion, according to the Rich List. Those valuations might not live up to the hype.
- Primrose Riordan and Nick Bonyhady
- Exclusive
- Online gambling
Gambling mogul lists superyacht at $10m, starts retailing supercars
A spokesman for Laurence Escalante’s private office said the sales were part of a new business venture.
- Primrose Riordan
This former Young Rich Lister just spent $700k to alter his genes
Nick Bell’s first business failed, his next made him millions. The serial entrepreneur’s latest business venture involves helping people live longer.
- Julie-anne Sprague
The homeschooled billionaire who built a fortune before turning 40
Shaun Bonett was the country’s richest person under 40 in 2007. Now a billionaire, he shares his story, including a humiliating $25 million mistake.
- Julie-anne Sprague
- Exclusive
- Private banking
Goldman eyes local banking licence to grow ultrarich lending business
The Wall Street investment banking giant has made no secret of its desire to expand its private wealth division. There are limits on what it can do.
- Primrose Riordan
April
$650 for RM’s? ‘People want handcrafted,’ says Nicola Forrest
Nicola Forrest says people are tiring of throwaway fast fashion as the iconic company she co-owns lifts capacity to tap into a fast-growing market for women’s boots.
- Simon Evans
Forrests’ $10b philanthropic foundation to cut 100 jobs
Andrew and Nicola Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation will shed about a third of its workforce in an overhaul aimed at making better use of its iron ore endowment.
- Brad Thompson
This Rich Lister sees a wave of distressed wine sales coming
The MD of Casella Family Brands, owner of Australia’s biggest-selling wine export brand Yellow Tail, says the under $10 per bottle segment is still shrinking.
- Simon Evans
Cettire shares slide 16pc on Bell Potter downgrade
The company’s house broker said the luxury marketplace would continue to outperform peers, but it would be harder for it to generate high growth.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz and Jonathan Shapiro
March
Chemist Warehouse sales, profit surge ahead of ASX debut
Regulatory approval from the ACCC stands in the way of a combined Chemist Warehouse and Sigma, which have revealed robust financials before their merger.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz and Jemima Whyte
Clive Palmer reaps $447m in royalties from Chinese adversaries
Rich Lister Clive Palmer says he is confident of success with massive damages claim against the federal and WA governments, and will stand his ground in a separate legal dispute with one of China’s biggest conglomerates.
- Updated
- Brad Thompson
How this billionaire is making his staff rich
The recent surge in WiseTech’s share price means Richard White isn’t the only one making money. Staff are sitting on a $320 million fortune.
- Yolanda Redrup
Australia’s 75 richest women now control more than $151b
The wealth of Australia’s richest 75 women soared by 30 per cent over the past year, as entrepreneurs in resources, tech, property and fashion enjoyed the fruits of a resurgent market.
- Michael Bailey and Yolanda Redrup
Rinehart blames Hancock pay gap on ‘helping women’ into mining
A 22 per cent gender pay gap at Hancock, versus a 15 per cent for all miners, is the temporary result of getting more women into the industry, Gina Rinehart says.
- Michael Bailey and Yolanda Redrup
February
The sum you need to make it into the top 1pc in Australia
Joining the top 1 per cent of wealthy Australians became easier last year as the country’s rich were hit with a weaker Aussie dollar and slowing economic growth.
- Primrose Riordan
Wealthy families are trying something new – ditching the secrecy
There’s a new breed of private investment vehicle for the super rich. And they’re less interested in managing money out of view than making more of it.
- Primrose Riordan
- Investigation
- Mining
The country’s most secretive billionaires are about to get much richer
Angela Bennett never wanted the family business. The daughter of prospector Peter Wright almost sold it all. Now it’s about to become a bonanza.
- Primrose Riordan and Tom Rabe
Forrests give $150m to gender equality fund
Billionaires Andrew and Nicola Forrest have put the largest grant from their Minderoo Foundation towards work to create a fairer world for women and girls.
- Brad Thompson
- Exclusive
- Food & drink
Zambrero billionaire sues former CEO to stop him taking credit
Sam Prince has accused Stuart Cook of “misleading or deceptive conduct” in talking up his work on the Mexican-themed restaurant chain’s success.
- Primrose Riordan
- Analysis
- Mining
Rinehart turns 70 at legal and lithium crossroads
As Australia’s richest person hits her milestone birthday, the market is testing Hancock Prospecting’s appetite for becoming a serious lithium force.
- Brad Thompson
Luxury marketplace Cettire looks to China as first-half sales soar
The company says demand for Tom Ford and Gucci fashion and accessories remains healthy, with first-half sales up 89 per cent. The stock surged 25 per cent.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
Rich List fortunes gouged by green metals slump
The wealth of mining executives and investors has taken a hit from the falling price of lithium and other minerals used in the transition from fossil fuels.
- Tom Richardson
- Exclusive
- Private banking
Former Credit Suisse, HSBC bankers target ultrarich with new bank
Volans opens its doors in May. It already has 17 employees on its books and is in the process of applying for a banking licence.
- Primrose Riordan
The heavy hitters behind Australia’s biggest conservative lobby group
Australia’s richest businesspeople have become major backers of Advance Australia, which helped lead the “no” campaign at the Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum.
- Updated
- Primrose Riordan and Andrew Tillett
January
Senior execs step up to steer Lang Walker’s legacy
The Rich List developer had already put in place succession planning within his vast property business early last year, handing over responsibility for running the company to a trusted group of lieutenants.
- Nick Lenaghan