Famous Australian Businessmen

Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, television host, and businesswoman. Best known for her record five appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Macpherson went on to found a series of business ventures, such as The Body and Elle Macpherson Intimates. Also known for her philanthropic work, Macpherson serves as an ambassador for organizations like UNICEF.

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.

Elisabeth Murdoch is an Australian-born media executive best known for founding the UK-based TV production company Shine Group in 2001. She is also known as the daughter of popular multi-billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch. In 2013, Elisabeth Murdoch was named UK’s fifth most powerful woman by Woman's Hour.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A renowned investment banker and the ninth President of the World Bank, James D. Wolfensohn was also a transformative and hands-on leader and a global champion of human rights.  Beginning his career in investment banking, he worked for several different institutions, before being nominated to the World Bank, shifting the Bank’s commitment back to alleviate poverty and promote social justice.  

Australian-American roboticist Rodney Brooks is known for popularizing the concept of behavioral robotics and making autonomous robots. The Stanford alumnus has also been associated with Carnegie Mellon University and MIT. Allen and Baxter remain two of his most popular intelligent robots. He also designed Cog, a robot meant to learn through interaction.

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.

Though born in India, Monisha Kaltenborn moved to Austria as a child. After attaining a master’s degree in law, she worked for the UN and various legal firms. She also headed Sauber Motorsport as its CEO and later formed KDC Racing. The mother of two now lives with her family in Switzerland.

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.