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Financial Review Rich List

List of the 200 wealthiest individuals and families in Australia

Summary

List of the 200 wealthiest individuals and families in Australia

FieldValue
titleFinancial Review Rich List
above(formerly known as the BRW Rich 200)
subheaderList of 200 Australians, ranked in order of net worth
headerstylebackground:#ccf;
header1Publication details
label2Publisher
data2Nine Entertainment
label3Publication
data3Australian Financial Review
label4First published
data41984 (as BRW Rich 100)
label5Latest publication
data5
header6Current list details (2025)
label7Wealthiest Australian
data7Gina Rinehart
label8Net worth (1st)
data838.11 billion
label9Entry point (200th)
data9747 million
label10Total list net worth value
data10667 billion
label11Average net worth
data113.35 billion
label12Gender bias
data12
belowstylebackground:#ddf;
belowAFR Rich List website

The Financial Review Rich List, 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 Entertainment. 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.

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. 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 2025.

In 2025, the entry mark for the 200th richest individual was 747 million; and the wealthiest individual in the 2025 list was Gina Rinehart, estimated to have a personal net worth of 38.11 billion. 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 28.89 bn. 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 10.62 billion.

Seven individuals and/or families have made every list; including Lindsay Fox, John Gandel, Solomon Lew, Frank Lowy, Alan Rydge, Kerry Stokes, and Harry Triguboff.

In 2014 fourteen women and 186 men made the BRW Rich 200 list; and by 2017 the number of women had increased to fifteen women; increased to nineteen women (either jointly or severally) in the list published in 2018; in 2019, twenty-six women were included on the 2019 Rich List, representing 13 percent of the total list; in 2020, the number of women included on the list, either jointly or severally, increased to 30 women; and increased again to 39 women on the 2021 list; representing 19.5 percent of the total list. It 2023, the number of women decreased to 36, the first decrease in many years; and it has increased every year since, standing at 42 women in the 2025 list.

Background and history

The Financial Review Rich List was first published in 1984 as the BRW Rich 100, with an entry point of 10 million, that profiled 144 people and 20 families.

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 9.41 billion, with James Packer listed third with 6.1 billion. In 2009 Pratt was top of the list with 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 5.04 billion. Rinehart held the mantle between 2011 and 2015; and Triguboff in 2016. Pratt held the mantle again, between 2017 and 2019. Rinehart returned in 2020 as Australia's wealthiest individual, and retained the mantle in every year since.

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 50 million, did not want to appear on the list. When told that the cut off was 35 million, Smith publicly divested 20 million to charities.

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 worth of 7.6 billion in 2011, due to Murdoch becoming a naturalised US citizen in 1985, he was excluded from the list.

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 2.74 billion in 2015 spread across seven branches of the family. In 2015 the list comprised fifty families with an entry point of 302 million. 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.

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

  • BRW Rich 100, 1984
  • BRW Rich 200, 1985
  • BRW Rich 200, 1986
  • BRW Rich 200, 1987
  • BRW Rich 200, 1988
  • BRW Rich 200, 1989
  • BRW Rich 200, 1990
  • BRW Rich 200, 1991
  • BRW Rich 200, 1992
  • BRW Rich 200, 1993
  • BRW Rich 200, 1994
  • BRW Rich 200, 1995
  • BRW Rich 200, 1996
  • BRW Rich 200, 1997
  • BRW Rich 200, 1998
  • BRW Rich 200, 1999
  • BRW Rich 200, 2000
  • BRW Rich 200, 2001
  • BRW Rich 200, 2002
  • BRW Rich 200, 2003
  • BRW Rich 200, 2004
  • BRW Rich 200, 2005
  • BRW Rich 200, 2006
  • BRW Rich 200, 2007
  • BRW Rich 200, 2008
  • BRW Rich 200, 2009
  • BRW Rich 200, 2010
  • BRW Rich 200, 2011
  • BRW Rich 200, 2012
  • BRW Rich 200, 2013
  • BRW Rich 200, 2014
  • BRW Rich 200, 2015
  • BRW Rich 200, 2016
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2017
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2018
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2019
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2020
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2021
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2022
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2023
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2024
  • Financial Review Rich List, 2025

Past richest Australian

YearNameNet worth
billionSources of wealth
19840.20Publishing & Broadcasting Limited;
Consolidated Media Holdings
19850.30Bell Resources; diversified investment
19860.60Diversified investment
19871.40Bell Resources; diversified investment
19881.50Publishing & Broadcasting Limited;
Consolidated Media Holdings
19891.80
19901.85
19911.90
19922.70
19933.00
19945.50
19953.00
19963.30
19973.90
19985.20
19996.40
20008.20
20016.20
20025.90
20035.50
20046.50
20056.90
20067.10Media; entertainment (gaming);
investment
20077.25
20089.41Fortescue
20094.30Visy; investment
20105.04Westfield; property (shopping centres)
201110.31Hancock Prospecting; media;
investment
201229.17
201322.02
201420.01
201514.02
201610.62Meriton; construction
201712.60Visy; investment
201812.90
201915.57
202028.89Hancock Prospecting; resources; agriculture
202131.06
202234.00
202337.41
202440.61
202538.11
LegendIconDescription
Has not changed from the previous year
Has increased from the previous year
Has decreased from the previous year

References

References

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  2. Jackson, Sally. (23 May 2012). "The $29.17 billion woman: Gina Rinehart tops BRW's Rich List". [[The Australian]].
  3. Treadgold, Tim. (21 March 2014). "Australia's $17 Billion Woman On The Road To Becoming A Whole Lot Richer". Forbes.
  4. (25 May 2017). "Rich List 2017: the 15 names on every list since 1984". [[Australian Financial Review.
  5. Bailey, Michael. (30 May 2019). "Australia's 200 richest people revealed". Nine Publishing.
  6. Stensholt, John. (25 May 2018). "2018 AFR Rich List: Who are Australia's richest people?". Fairfax Media.
  7. Ferguson, Adele. (23 May 2012). "Rinehart world's richest woman: BRW". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. (27 June 2014). "BRW Rich 200: how technology is reshaping the list". [[Business Review Weekly.
  9. Thomson, James. (23 May 2012). "Rinehart, Palmer and the Rich 200". Business Spectator.
  10. (29 October 2020). "Rich List 2020 marks the rise of the ore-ligarchs". Nine Publishing.
  11. Thomson, James. (22 May 2013). "Celebrating 30 years of the Rich 200". BRW Rich 200.
  12. Skeffington, Robert. (24 May 2004). "The richest list of all". The Age.
  13. Penberthy, Jefferson. (24 August 2006). "Blood, sweat and ink". Fairfax Media.
  14. Chappell, Trevor. (28 May 2008). "Alan Bond makes BRW rich list comeback". news.com.au.
  15. (March 2011). "World's billionaires: Rupert Murdoch profile". Forbes.
  16. Xavier, Allan. (1 April 2014). "Rupert Murdoch tops BRW Executive Rich List 2014". Fairfax Media.
  17. Stensholt, John. (7 October 2015). "Poultry to property: how Australia's richest families are making second fortunes". Fairfax Media.
  18. (7 October 2015). "Rich Families List 2015". BRW.
  19. Ward, Miranda. (4 March 2016). "Fairfax Media to close BRW website with team joining new Leadership section at AFR". Mumbrella.
  20. Nixon, Sherrill. (7 March 2008). "It's a bit rich when a Packer no longer tops list". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  21. (15 August 1986). "Rich 200". BRW.
  22. (26 May 1987). "Rich 200". BRW.
  23. (12 May 1989). "Rich 200". BRW.
  24. (26 September 1990). "Rich 200". BRW.
  25. (22 May 1992). "Rich 200". BRW.
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  28. (22 May 1995). "Rich 200". BRW.
  29. (17 May 1996). "Today's Headlines". Global Web Builders.
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  35. Murphy, Damien. (23 May 2002). "Millionaire surfers join ranks of wealthiest". The Sydney Morning Herald.
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  40. Zappone, Chris. (26 May 2010). "Frank Lowy tops BRW rich list for first time". The Sydney Morning Herald.
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  44. (24 May 2013). "BRW Rich 200 2013 Wealth Index". Business Review Weekly.
  45. (22 May 2013). "Rinehart drops more than Lowy's entire worth". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  46. (26 June 2014). "2014 BRW Rich 200". BRW.
  47. Stensholt, John. (26 June 2014). "BRW 2014 Rich List". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  48. (June 2015). "2015 BRW Rich 200". BRW.
  49. (27 May 2016). "2016 BRW Rich 200". [[Financial Review]].
  50. (30 October 2020). "The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed". Nine Publishing.
  51. (27 May 2021). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". [[Australian Financial Review]].
  52. (26 May 2023). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". [[Australian Financial Review]].
  53. (30 May 2024). "Australia's wealthiest 200 now control $625b". [[Australian Financial Review]].
  54. (30 May 2025). "Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed, fortunes blow past $667b". [[Australian Financial Review]].
Wikipedia Source

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