Financial Review Rich List

The Financial Review Rich List,[2][3] formerly known as the BRW Rich 200, is a list of Australia's two hundred wealthiest individuals and families, ranked by personal net worth published annually in The Australian Financial Review Magazine, a supplement of The Australian Financial Review, published by Nine Publishing. The list provides a short summary on some of the known business activities of the individuals and families, together with commentary on how their ranking has changed from the previous year, if listed.

Financial Review Rich List
(formerly known as the BRW Rich 200)
List of 200 Australians, ranked in order of net worth
Publication details
PublisherNine Publishing
PublicationFinancial Review
First published1984 (as BRW Rich 100)
Latest publication26 May 2023
Current list details (2023)[1]
Wealthiest AustralianGina Rinehart
Net worth (1st)Increase A$37.41 billion
Entry point (200th)Increase A$690 million
Total list net worth valueIncrease A$563 billion
Average net worthIncrease A$2.40 billion
Gender bias
  • Decrease 36 women
  • Increase 164 men
AFR Rich List website

The list was historically released annually in May or June in a special issue of the Business Review Weekly (BRW), published by Fairfax Media. The final hardcopy issue of BRW was published in November 2013, and between 2014 and March 2016, the list was published online only. In March 2016 the BRW Rich 200 was published in hardcopy in The Australian Financial Review Magazine (or AFR Magazine), and published online on the Financial Review website.[4] In 2017, the list was renamed as the Financial Review Rich List, published in both print and online. The most recent list was published in May 2023.

In 2023, the entry mark for the 200th richest individual was A$690 million – an increase of A$100 million on the 2021 entry mark.[5][6] The wealthiest individual in the 2023 list was Gina Rinehart, estimated to have a personal net worth of A$37.41 billion.[1] Rinehart held the mantle of Australia's wealthiest individual between 2011 and 2015; and was also the wealthiest individual in every year since 2020, when her net worth was assessed at A$28.89 bn.[6][7][8] Rinehart succeeded Anthony Pratt and family, who held the mantle of Australia's wealthiest individual between 2017 and 2019, and also in 2009. Pratt succeeded Harry Triguboff who topped the list in 2016, when it was estimated he had a personal net worth of A$10.62 billion.[9]

Nine individuals and/or families have made every list; including Maurice Alter, Lindsay Fox, John Gandel, John Kahlbetzer, Solomon Lew, Frank Lowy, Alan Rydge, Kerry Stokes, and Harry Triguboff.[5][6][2][3][10][11]

In 2014 fourteen women and 186 men made the BRW Rich 200 list;[12][13][14] and by 2017 the number of women had increased to fifteen women;[2] increased to nineteen women (either jointly or severally) in the list published in 2018;[11] in 2019, twenty-six women were included on the 2019 Rich List, representing 13 percent of the total list;[10] in 2020, the number of women included on the list, either jointly or severally, increased to 30 women;[6] and increased again to 39 women on the 2021 list; representing 19.5 percent of the total list.[5] It 2023, the number of women decreased to 36, the first decrease in many years.[1]

Background and history

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The Financial Review Rich List was first published in 1984[3][15] as the BRW Rich 100, with an entry point of A$10 million, that profiled 144 people and 20 families.[16][17]

In 2008 it was the first time in more than 20 years that Kerry or James Packer had not headed the list. Andrew Forrest was listed as the richest person in Australia, with a net worth estimated at A$9.41 billion, with James Packer listed third with A$6.1 billion.[18] In 2009 Pratt was top of the list with A$4.3 billion. In 2010, the founder of Westfield, Frank Lowy, who has appeared on the list every year, was Australia's richest individual with an assessed personal net worth of A$5.04 billion.[19][20] Rinehart held the mantle between 2011 and 2015;[21] and Triguboff in 2016.[9] Pratt held the mantle again, between 2017 and 2019.[10] Rinehart returned in 2020 as Australia's wealthiest individual,[6] and retained the mantle in every year since.[1]

The list has sometimes caught the ire of those profiled. In an essay celebrating the 25th anniversary of the BRW, Jefferson Penberthy, the founding editor of the BRW Rich 100 wrote that Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith, at one stage valued at A$50 million, did not want to appear on the list. When told that the cut off was A$35 million, Smith publicly divested A$20 million to charities.[17]

The Financial Review Rich List excludes individuals who have renounced their Australian citizenship. For example, despite Rupert Murdoch being born in Australia and having a personal net wealth of US$7.6 billion in 2011,[22] due to Murdoch becoming a naturalised US citizen in 1985, he was excluded from the list.[23]

The BRW Rich Families List was first published annually between 2008 and 2015. In every year of its publication the Smorgon family has headed the list, with estimated wealth of A$2.74 billion in 2015 spread across seven branches of the family.[24] In 2015 the list comprised fifty families with an entry point of A$302 million.[25] The families list has not been published in hard copy or online since 2015.

On 4 March 2016, Fairfax Media announced the closure of the BRW website, and redirected the site to a new section of The Australian Financial Review. Rich lists are now published in The Australian Financial Review Magazine and in 2017 were rebranded as the Financial Review Rich List.[2][3][4]

The Financial Review Rich List is one list in a series of lists published by the Financial Review and/or were previously published by the BRW. Other lists included:

  • the BRW Rich series; covering BRW Executive Rich, BRW Young Rich, and BRW Rich Summer
  • the BRW Fast list series; covering BRW Fast Starters, BRW Fast Franchises, and BRW Fast 100
  • the BRW Top list series; covering Top 1000 Companies, Top 50 Entertainers, and Top 500 Private Companies

Lists by year

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Past richest Australian

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Year Name Net worth
A$ billion
Sources of wealth
1984 Kerry Packer 0.20 Publishing & Broadcasting Limited;
Consolidated Media Holdings[26]
1985 Robert Holmes à Court 0.30 Bell Resources; diversified investment
1986[27] Khoo Teck Puat 0.60 Diversified investment
1987[28] Robert Holmes à Court 1.40 Bell Resources; diversified investment
1988 Kerry Packer 1.50 Publishing & Broadcasting Limited;
Consolidated Media Holdings[26]
1989[29] 1.80  
1990[30] 1.85  
1991 1.90  
1992[31] 2.70  
1993[32] 3.00  
1994[33] 5.50  
1995[34] 3.00  
1996[35] 3.30  
1997[36] 3.90  
1998[37] 5.20  
1999[38] 6.40  
2000[39] 8.20  
2001[40] 6.20  
2002[41] 5.90  
2003[42] 5.50  
2004[16] 6.50  
2005[43] 6.90  
2006[44] James Packer 7.10   Media; entertainment (gaming);
investment
2007[18] 7.25  
2008[18][45] Andrew Forrest 9.41   Fortescue Metals Group
2009[19] Anthony Pratt & family 4.30   Visy; investment
2010[19][20] Frank Lowy 5.04   Westfield; property (shopping centres)
2011[46] Gina Rinehart 10.31   Hancock Prospecting; media;
investment
2012[47] 29.17  
2013[48][49] 22.02  
2014[13][12] 20.01  
2015[21] 14.02  
2016[9] Harry Triguboff 10.62   Meriton; construction
2017[2] Anthony Pratt & family 12.60   Visy; investment
2018[11] 12.90  
2019[10] 15.57  
2020[6] Gina Rinehart 28.89   Hancock Prospecting; resources
2021[5] 31.06  
2022 34.00  
2023[1] 37.41  
2024[50] 40.61  
Legend
Icon Description
  Has not changed from the previous year
  Has increased from the previous year
  Has decreased from the previous year

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (26 May 2023). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Stensholt, John, ed. (25 May 2017). "Financial Review Rich List 2017". Financial Review. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Stensholt, John; Tadros, Edmund (25 May 2017). "Rich List 2017: the 15 names on every list since 1984". AFR Magazine. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b Ward, Miranda (4 March 2016). "Fairfax Media to close BRW website with team joining new Leadership section at AFR". Mumbrella. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (27 May 2021). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (30 October 2020). "The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  7. ^ Jackson, Sally (23 May 2012). "The $29.17 billion woman: Gina Rinehart tops BRW's Rich List". The Australian. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  8. ^ Treadgold, Tim (21 March 2014). "Australia's $17 Billion Woman On The Road To Becoming A Whole Lot Richer". Forbes. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  9. ^ a b c Stensholt, John, ed. (27 May 2016). "2016 BRW Rich 200". Financial Review. Australia. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d Bailey, Michael (30 May 2019). "Australia's 200 richest people revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  11. ^ a b c Stensholt, John (25 May 2018). "2018 AFR Rich List: Who are Australia's richest people?". The Australian Financial Review. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  12. ^ a b Stensholt, John (26 June 2014). "BRW 2014 Rich List". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  13. ^ a b Stensholt, John, ed. (26 June 2014). "2014 BRW Rich 200". BRW. Sydney. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  14. ^ Ferguson, Adele (23 May 2012). "Rinehart world's richest woman: BRW". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  15. ^ Thomson, James (22 May 2013). "Celebrating 30 years of the Rich 200". BRW Rich 200. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  16. ^ a b Skeffington, Robert (24 May 2004). "The richest list of all". The Age. Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  17. ^ a b Penberthy, Jefferson (24 August 2006). "Blood, sweat and ink" (PDF). BRW. Australia: Fairfax Media. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  18. ^ a b c Chappell, Trevor (28 May 2008). "Alan Bond makes BRW rich list comeback". news.com.au. Australia. AAP. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
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  23. ^ Xavier, Allan (1 April 2014). "Rupert Murdoch tops BRW Executive Rich List 2014". BRW. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  24. ^ Stensholt, John (7 October 2015). "Poultry to property: how Australia's richest families are making second fortunes". BRW. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 13 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  25. ^ "Rich Families List 2015". BRW. Australia. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  26. ^ a b Nixon, Sherrill (7 March 2008). "It's a bit rich when a Packer no longer tops list". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  27. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 15 August 1986. p. 55.
  28. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 26 May 1987. p. 31.
  29. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 12 May 1989. p. 60.
  30. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 26 September 1990. p. 66.
  31. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 22 May 1992. p. 59.
  32. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 21 May 1993. p. 59.
  33. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 23 May 1994. p. 68.
  34. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 22 May 1995. p. 55.
  35. ^ "Today's Headlines". News of the Day Archives. Australia: Global Web Builders. 17 May 1996. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
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  37. ^ Dixon, Norm (9 December 1998). "Who owns Australia?". Green Left Weekly. Australia. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  38. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 28 May 1999. p. 80.
  39. ^ Douglas, Jeanne-Vida; Norsa, Gerard (7 June 2000). "Channel champs charge onto BRW rich list". ARN. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  40. ^ "Rich 200". BRW. 18 May 2001. p. 84.
  41. ^ Murphy, Damien (23 May 2002). "Millionaire surfers join ranks of wealthiest". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
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  43. ^ "Obituary: Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, 1937-2005". The Age. 28 December 2005. p. 7. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  44. ^ "The Billionaires". BRW. 18 May 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  45. ^ "BRW Rich 200 2011 Wealth Index". BRW. Australia. 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  46. ^ "Top 10 Richest People in the World 2000 to 2019 Index". BRW. Australia. 7 December 2019. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  47. ^ "BRW Rich 200 2012 Wealth Index". BRW. Australia. 7 December 2019. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  48. ^ Stensholt, John, ed. (24 May 2013). "BRW Rich 200 2013 Wealth Index". Business Review Weekly. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  49. ^ Colquhoun, Steve; Heathcote, Andrew (22 May 2013). "Rinehart drops more than Lowy's entire worth". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  50. ^ Redrup, Yolanda; Bailey, Michael (30 May 2024). "Australia's wealthiest 200 now control $625b". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
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