Rich List 2025
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Private equity buyer Blackstone circles Hamilton Island deal
While still in preliminary stages, a deal would make Blackstone, which already controls Crown Resorts, a major force in the country’s hospitality sector.
Snow family closes door to any sale of Canberra Airport
The extended family is working through its longer-term business and philanthropic strategy following Snow senior’s death at 80 in August last year.
Nicola Forrest spotted with new boyfriend in Europe
The philanthropist has flown far more under the radar than Andrew Forrest since their separation.
Macquarie-backed seaweed group enlists Japanese giant, eyes IPO
Macquarie holds 10 per cent of Sea Forest, with billionaire Peter Gunn and author Zoe Foster Blake among its investors, as the group looks at a potential IPO.
Inside the private group with more revenue than Hancock Prospecting
Pallion Group beat Gina Rinehart’s mining giant by revenue on a list of top private companies following an extraordinary bull run in the gold price.
September
A billionaire chippy’s A-list campaign to rebuild a surf club
Sorrento is finally getting a new clubhouse after years of planning hurdles, thanks to developer Max Beck and his Rich List network.
Lawsuit alleges 16-hour days, bullying at MCo Beauty dupes empire
The cosmetics producer’s former head of finance claims he was “pretty much destroyed” working on a deal to sell the business to billionaire Dennis Bastas.
Pratt settlement keeps Waislitz in control of Thorney empire
But the billionaires have agreed to resolve their legal matter, with the investment empire to start making regular distributions to their three children.
August
Melbourne Cup winner Lloyd Williams sells penthouse for $18m
The racehorse owner and Crown Casino founder has sold his Melbourne penthouse in the city’s “Tower of Power” to Cambodian businessman Kith Meng.
‘Like Black Mirror’: Live-streamed death spells trouble for Ed Craven
A French minister has denounced what she calls a ‘digital Wild West’ and criticised the Rich Lister’s streaming platform Kick over insufficient moderation.
Wrecked Rolls-Royce and a mysterious driver: court case has China agog
A car crash in Sydney’s Rose Bay has half the Chinese internet wondering who is Yang Lanlan, the mysterious 23-year-old woman driving a $1 million Rolls-Royce.
Adgemis funds $60,000 Bondi rent, lifestyle from company loans: report
Jon Adgemis’ debts have grown to more than $1.8 billion, and expected return for creditors has dropped to 0.15 cents to the dollar, according to trustee report.
‘Factually incorrect’: fund manager Elanor fires back at Lederer
After Elanor announced a $125 million rescue plan, billionaire Paul Lederer warned it would lose its focus. So he lobbed a takeover offer for one of its funds.
Kroonenburg lands big valuation for AI ad agency Cuttable
The businessman founded and sold A Cloud Guru to an American giant for $2 billion. His new venture helps small brands feed “the social media beast”.
Cowin-backed plant-based meat start-up buys US fake chicken rival
Daring Foods was once a darling of the industry, valued at more than $500 million. Now it is being acquired by v2food in the hope scale will lead to profit.
Wagyu Rich Listers fatten outback portfolio with Qld deal
Peter and Jane Hughes, already among the world’s biggest producers of wagyu beef, have added a central western Queensland cattle property to their operation.
July
Stake.com founder invests millions to build Australia’s ChatGPT
While there are plenty of investors trying to land a lucrative payday as AI use goes mainstream, Maincode is trying to become Australia’s answer to OpenAI.
Rich Lister Walker family donate millions to Sydney cancer centre
A chance meeting between surgeon Chris O’Brien and billionaire Lang Walker resulted in a long-standing commitment from the family to support the eponymous centre.
China provides reality check for Forrest’s green iron dream
A domestic green iron industry might mean Australia has to pour in more public funds than the Chinese government, an impossible feat.
Three decades of PMs, fashion icons and the odd person headed for jail
The Financial Review’s monthly glossy changed the format for magazines when it arrived in 1995. We look back on its greatest hits, and the occasional near miss.
Fortescue near settlement with US tycoon after energy deal bust-up
Andrew Forrest will avoid a seven-hour courtroom deposition by agreeing to settle Fortescue’s dispute with US billionaire Paul Tudor Jones.
Australia’s 50 Richest Bosses revealed
The Chemist Warehouse and Guzman y Gomez floats, as well as a change in intergenerational wealth, are creating a new wave of wealthy leaders.
Perichs’ dairy giant hands on Vic farm to Qld egg producer
In a deal worth close to $55m, one of the country’s biggest dairying businesses has sold a Victorian farm to one of Australia’s major egg producers.
Investor son of secretive mining heiress comes back into the fold
They are heirs to the fortune made by Lang Hancock’s business partner Peter Wright, and a recent sale means the family now has billions more to spend.
Escalante sets up second casino business, annoying VGW investors
The Perth businessman quietly established Kickr, which provides some of the same services as Virtual Gaming Worlds, the company he wants to take private.
