Who is Clive Palmer? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Australian Celebrities Born In March

Also Known As: Clive Frederick Palmer

Age: 69 Years, 69 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Anna Topalov-Palmer (m. 2007), Susan Palmer (m. 1983–2005)

father: George Palmer

mother: Nancy McArthur

children: Emily Palmer, Mary Palmer, Michael Palmer Lucy Palmer

Billionaires Australian Men

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

political ideology: Political party Palmer United Party (2013–present), Other political affiliations - National (1969–2008), Liberal National (2008–2012)

City: Melbourne, Australia

Founder/Co-Founder: Palmer United Party

More Facts

education: Southport State High School, Aquinas College, Southport, Toowoomba Grammar School, University of Queensland

Humanitarian Work: founder of Palmer Care Foundation’

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Childhood & Early Life

Palmer was born March 26, 1954 in Melbourne, Australia. His parents, Nancy and George Palmer, were both working class. In 1963, his family made a move to Queensland.

He attended ‘St. Mary’s Primary School’, ‘Aquinas College’, ‘Southport State High School’ and ‘Toowomba Grammar School’. During his time at the ‘University of Queensland’, he studied law before dropping out in 1975.

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Career

In 1974, he joined the National Party of Australia, Queensland division. He was heavily involved, serving in multiple roles.

During the 1983 state election, he served as the National Party's campaign director. The election was successful.

Palmer founded ‘Mineralogy’, a mining company, in 1984. Their key product is iron ore, and the company owns more than 1,000 km of Cape Preston’s land.

During the 1986 campaign for the National Party, he served as the media spokesman.

In 2008, he purchased Australian coal mining development company ‘Waratah Coal’. At the time or purchase, there was claimed to be a 4.4 billion tone resource.

Also in 2008, he purchased Australia’s ‘Gold Coast United’ soccer club. Though he already had a business base in China, he said the team’s participation in the Asian Champions league might boost his popularity in the country.

He purchased ‘Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery’ and ‘Queensland Nickel’ in 2009. The company increased production by 30 percent the following year.

His ownership of Gold Coast United soccer club ended in 2012.

In 2012, he had a fall out with the ‘Liberal National Party's hierarchy. He resigned his lifetime membership.

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The same year, he founded ‘Football Australia’. ‘Football Australia’, which serves as a competing organization to ‘Football Federation Australia’, has no international affiliates.

Also in 2012, he was declared secretary general of the ‘World Leadership Alliance’.

Embarking on his political aspirations he formed the ‘Palmer United Party’ on April 25, 2013. Later that year, he was elected to the House of Representatives for Fairfax, Queensland.

Major Works

During a press conference in 2013, he told the world about his goal of building a replica of the RMS Titanic. The Titanic II, he said, will be built in China and have its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.

Also in 2013, he announced plans to build a dinosaur park not unlike that of ‘Jurassic Park’. It will be built at the Sunshine Coast’s Palmer Coolum Resort.

Awards & Achievements

In 2002, ‘Deakin University’s Faculty of Business and Law’ declared Palmer Adjunct Professor. He held this title for the next four years and throughout the duration of this role, he delivered a variety of lectures as part of his program, sharing his expertise in the areas of business and law.

In 2008, ‘Bond University’, located on the Gold Coast, named him Adjunct Professor of Management due to his vast experience in business management and entrepreneurship.

Personal Life & Legacy

He married his first wife, Susan, whom he met at university. They had a son and a daughter together before she died of cancer in 2007. He remarried and had two daughters.

Palmer lives in a villa at one of his resorts, the ‘Palmer Coolum Resort’. He is believed to have several other residences, including 11 properties in the Sovereign Islands.

He pledged $100 million in support of medical research for indigenous groups in the Western half of Australia. He is the founder, as well as the director, of the ‘Palmer Care Foundation’.

The ‘National Trust of Australia’ declared him an Australian national living treasure in 2012. The National Trust is an organization committed to protecting the country’s heritage.

Clive Palmer Biography