Famous Australian Businessmen

One of the highest-earning models according to Forbes, Miranda Kerr was the first Victoria's Secret model from Australia. Known for her attractive physique, she is often named in the sexiest women in the world lists by several magazines. She has used her fame and beauty to launch a brand of skincare products called KORA Organics.

Indian-born Australian entrepreneur and author Saroo Brierley was separated from his mother at 5, when he accidentally boarded a train to Howrah station from Burhanpur. He ended up being adopted by an Australian couple. He later found his mother via Google Earth. His autobiography was adapted into the film Lion.

Gina Rinehart is an Australian heiress and mining magnate. She is currently serving as the executive chairman of a privately-owned mineral extraction company called Hancock Prospecting and is credited with expanding the company. In 2012, she became the world's richest woman after overtaking Christy Walton and was named in Forbes magazine's The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list.

Born in England, Gary Mehigan, celebrated chef and restaurateur, received his initial training in prominent London hotels before moving to Melbourne, Australia. After heading several well-known restaurants there, he opened his own establishment and currently co-owns The Boathouse, located in Moonee Ponds. Concurrently, he can also be seen on televisions productions like MasterChef Australia and Far Flung with Gary Mehigan.

Australian media mogul Kerry Packer was the son of media pioneer Sir Frank Packer and later managed the Nine Network and the Australian Consolidated Press. Known for his flamboyant lifestyle and his love for gambling, he also established the competition known as World Series Cricket.

Rupert Murdoch’s company News Corp owns hundreds of publishing outlets and TV channels around the world, including The Sun, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and Fox News. His media houses have been accused of hacking the phones of celebrities and public citizens. He has also had to face allegations of bribery and corruption in the UK and the US.

Australian billionaire businessman Andrew Forrest, or Twiggy, also made Australia’s biggest charity contribution, of A$655 million, in 2019. The former Fortescue Metals Group CEO has now deviated to farming and has targeted the milk and dairy demands of China. In 2021, his foundation slammed China’s treatment of the Uighurs.

Geoffrey Edelsten was an Australian businessman best remembered for founding Allied Medical Group. A physician by profession, Edelsten attracted media attention for his luxurious lifestyle and unconventional clinics. He also had a brief music career; he owned a record company named Hit Productions in the 1960s. Edelsten's controversial personal life, which involved brushes with the law, overshadowed his professional achievements.

Shannon Bennett is an Australian chef and author. He is the head chef of restaurant Vue de monde at Melbourne's Rialto Tower and also owns and operates several other hospitality venues in Melbourne. On several occasions, he has appeared as a guest judge on the popular cooking show MasterChef Australia. He is the author of several books as well. 

Palestinian-origin Australian businessman Ali Banat was initially known for his flamboyant lifestyle. The millionaire who owned a security and electrical company turned into a humanitarian after being diagnosed with stage-4 cancer. His charity, Muslims Around the World, was aimed at helping the needy. He eventually lost his battle to cancer at 35.

Born in the UK, Alan Bond moved to Australia with his family at 12. The business tycoon had started out as a signwriter in Perth and later emerged as the CEO of Bond Corporation. The first non-American to earn the sailing trophy America's Cup, he was later imprisoned for corporate fraud.

While Ivan Glasenberg initially excelled in sports and even went on to become a national race-walking champion for South Africa and Israel, he later earned a business degree and began trading coal in Australia, becoming Australia’s fifth-richest man in 2015. He then took over as the CEO of Glencore and moved to Switzerland.

Mark Bouris is an Australian businessman, media personality, and author. He is best known for founding Wizard Home Loans, one of the most popular non-bank mortgage lenders in Australia. He also serves as the chairman of Yellow Brick Road, which he founded in 2007. Mark Bouris has also hosted TV shows like The Apprentice Australia and The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

Australian-born American James P. Gorman had initially studied law and taken up a job at a law firm. The Columbia Business School alumnus then worked for firms such as McKinsey and Merrill Lynch, before serving as the CEO of Morgan Stanley. He also serves the US Federal Reserve Board and other boards.

Richard Farleigh is an Australian reality television personality and private investor. Apart from investing in major companies like Wolfson Microelectronics and Evolution Group, Farleigh is also credited with setting up an advisory firm called H2O Markets which he launched in 2010. A former chess player, Richard Farleigh has represented Bermuda and Monaco in the 31st and 34th Chess Olympiad respectively.

Kerry Stokes is an Australian businessman best known for his association with one of Australia's largest broadcast repeating corporations, The Seven Network, where he serves as the chairman. He is also known for his immense contribution to the National Gallery of Australia; apart from donating millions of dollars to the national art museum, Stokes has also served as its chairman.

Mick Gatto is an Australian businessman and former boxer. He is best known for his involvement in the Melbourne gangland killings in 2004 when he was charged with homicide. Although he admitted that he killed a suspected underworld hitman named Andrew Veniamin, Gatto was found not guilty as it was proved that he had acted in self-defense.

Lang Hancock was an Australian business magnate remembered for discovering the largest iron ore deposit in the world in 1952. He went on to become one of the richest entrepreneurs in Australia and established himself as one of the most popular and influential men. A controversial personality, Hancock's personal life, especially his marriage to Rose Porteous, overshadowed his professional achievements.

The Great Acquirer, Robert Holmes à Court was Australia’s first billionaire. The South African-born later studied forestry in New Zealand, before moving to Australia to study law. He proved his business acumen by using a loss-making AWM as a tool to acquire Bell Brothers, and turning it into Bell Group Ltd.

Frank Packer was an Australian media mogul best remembered for founding the Nine Network and Australian Consolidated Press. He is credited with establishing the Packer media empire and is a prominent name in Australia. Over the years, Frank Packer has been portrayed in several Australian television miniseries like Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo and Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch War.

Khoo Teck Puat was an entrepreneur and banker remembered for owning the Goodwood Group of hotels in Singapore and London. Khoo established himself as the wealthiest man in Singapore and was named among the richest people in the world by Forbes in 2004. A philanthropist, Khoo established the Khoo Foundation, which donated towards the construction of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.