The richest person in Australia is no longer a woman, after Gina Rinehart was pushed back to fourth place on the BRW Rich List for the first time since 2011.
Her wealth has taken a significant tumble in recent years due to falling iron ore prices and an ongoing family dispute, dropping from $14.02 billion in 2015 to just (just!) $6.06 billion this year.
Despite Rinehart’s change in fortune, a record 23 women made the 200 this year including six billionaires, and a number of list debutants including Gretel Packer and Bianca Rinehart.
Vick Teoh, married to TPG Telecom founder David Teoh, is our second richest woman, with a combined wealth of $3.08 billion and sharing the 10th and 11th spots.
Property tycoon Harry Triguboff made it to the top of the list with wealth worth $10.62 billion according to BRW, after 33 years of appearing everywhere else but the top spot.
Australia’s 6 female billionaires according to BRW include:
No. 4 Gina Rinehart, $6.06 billion
Chair of iron ore miner Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart transferred 23% of her wealth to daughter Bianca, who features on this year’s list for the first time.
No. 10/11 Vicky Teoh, $3.03 billion (shared with husband, David Teoh)
Teoh’s part of the couple behind telecommunications company TPG Telecom, which recently acquired iiNet. Teoh also owns a stake in vitamins company Vita Life Sciences
No. 27 Angela Bennett, $1.61 billion
Bennett is a Perth mining heir and daughter of the late prospector Peter Wright. She has a number of interests managed by her AMB Capital Partners investment house.
No. 29 & 30 Leonie Baldock and Alexander Burt, $1.55 billion
These two sister inherited their wealth from the late Michael Wright, who had himself inherited his wealth from father Peter Wright.
No. 32 Judith Neilson, $1.4 billion
Neilson is a large shareholder of Platinum Asset Management, founded with her former husband in 1994, and prominent part of the Sydney arts community
BRW’s other female rich-listers
Bianca Rinehart, $905 million, mining
Joy Chambers-Grundy (and family), $858 million, investment
Nechama Werdiger & family, $789 million, Property investment
Charlotte Vidor, $784 million (shared with husband Ervin), property
Gretel Packer, $739 million, investment
Iris Listig-Moar, $650 million (shared with former husband Max Moar), property
Jamuna Gurung, $586 million (shared with husband Sheash Ghale), education & property
Naomi Milgrom, $582 million, retail
Jina Chen, $570 million (who debuts on the list, after founding Vitamins company Nature’s Care, the wealth figure quoted by BRW is shared with business partner and husband Alex Wu), health care
Mary Fairfax, $562 million, property
Imelda Roche, $485 million (shared with Nutrimetrics co-founder Bill Roche)
Diana Grollo, $461 million (shared with Grollo Group co-founder Rino Grollo), property
Christina Quinn, $411 million (share with VIP Petfoods co-founder Tony Quinn), food
Patricia Ilhan, $383 million, investment
Yenda Lee, $383 million, Bing Lee/Retail
Nicole Kidman, $338 million, entertainment