Who is the Richest Person in Australia Today?

• Richest Person: Gina Rinehart

• Age: 70

• Net Worth: $30.8 Billion

• Rank: 56

• Source of Wealth: Mining

• Residence: Perth, Australia

• Marital Status: Widowed

• Children: 4

Gina Rinehart - Australia’s Richest Billionaire

Gina Rinehart – From Pilbara’s Red Dust to Australia’s Mining Queen

Early Life in the Harsh Pilbara

Born on February 9, 1954, in Perth, Western Australia, Gina Rinehart is the only child of mining magnate Lang Hancock and his wife, Hope Margaret Nicholas. She spent her formative years in the isolated Pilbara region, one of the most remote and mineral-rich areas of North West Australia. Gina grew up on her parents’ sprawling sheep and cattle stations, far from the comforts of urban life, shaping her resilience and familiarity with the rugged outback.

Her childhood was heavily influenced by her father Lang, a pioneer of Australia’s iron ore industry, who fostered her passion for mining from an early age. Gina often traveled with him to key international business meetings and mining conferences, developing an early understanding of the sector that would later define her legacy.

Education and Early Disconnect

At just eight years old, Gina was sent to St. Hilda's Anglican School for Girls, a prestigious boarding school in Perth. After completing her secondary education, she enrolled at the University of Sydney, majoring in Economics. However, she left after one year, citing cultural differences with her peers and a desire for a more hands-on business education.

Instead, Gina returned to the Pilbara to work alongside her father, learning the intricacies of the family business firsthand and immersing herself in the operational side of the burgeoning iron ore trade.

Marriages and Family Life

Gina's personal life has been marked by two marriages and four children.

First Marriage: Greg Milton

In 1973, Gina married Greg Milton, an Englishman she met while both were working in Wittenoom, a town known for its blue asbestos mining. The couple had two children together before separating in 1979 and finalizing their divorce in 1981.

Second Marriage: Frank Rinehart

In 1983, Gina married Frank Rinehart, an American corporate lawyer and executive with Arco, a U.S.-based energy company. They tied the knot in Las Vegas and had two children together. Frank passed away in 1990, leaving Gina a widow.

Family Tensions

Her second marriage caused strains in her relationship with her father, Lang Hancock. Lang reportedly disapproved of Frank Rinehart, believing him to be a divisive figure in the family. These tensions continued until Lang's passing.

The Bitter Inheritance Battle

When Lang Hancock died in 1992, Gina faced a prolonged legal battle with her stepmother, Rose Porteous, who was significantly younger than Lang and his second wife. Gina accused Rose of playing a role in her father’s death, although it was ultimately ruled as natural causes.

The inheritance dispute stretched over 11 years, during which Gina fought for control over Hancock Prospecting and its lucrative royalty streams. In the end, Gina retained full control of the company, while Rose received a modest portion of Lang’s assets, including the Prix d'Amour, a luxurious estate in Perth.

Rise to Power: Taking Over Hancock Prospecting

Following her father's death in 1992, Gina became Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL) and its associated companies. Under her leadership, HPPL underwent a significant transformation, shifting from a company sitting on undeveloped leases to a mining powerhouse.

Key Business Milestones

Roy Hill Tenements Acquisition

One of Gina's major achievements was the acquisition of the Roy Hill tenements in 1993, a turning point for HPPL. Through Gina’s strategic vision and relentless determination, Roy Hill evolved into one of Australia’s largest and most advanced iron ore mining projects.

Expansion into Asia

From the mid-1990s, Gina spearheaded numerous international joint ventures, forging partnerships with companies across South Korea, India, Japan, and China. Her ability to secure major deals with Asian industrial giants helped solidify Australia’s position as a key exporter of iron ore.

The Roy Hill Project

The Roy Hill mining project, which began exports in 2015, is now the crown jewel of Rinehart’s empire. With state-of-the-art infrastructure and significant production capacity, Roy Hill has become a major supplier of iron ore to Asian markets, particularly China.

Leadership Style and Influence

Gina Rinehart is known for her hands-on leadership style and conservative approach to business. She has often emphasized the importance of reducing regulatory burdens on the mining sector and has been a vocal critic of government taxes and intervention in business.

Despite facing legal disputes even within her own family—including lawsuits from some of her children—Gina has remained one of Australia’s most influential and private billionaires.

Philanthropy and Public Image

Though Gina is often portrayed as a tough businesswoman, she is also involved in philanthropic efforts, focusing on health, education, and community programs, especially in rural Australia. However, her public persona often revolves around her business acumen and her advocacy for the mining industry.

Current Net Worth and Status

As of 2025, Gina Rinehart is listed as Australia’s richest person according to the latest Forbes Rich List, with an estimated net worth of over $30 billion USD. Her wealth primarily stems from Hancock Prospecting’s iron ore royalties and the success of the Roy Hill project.

Legacy

Gina Rinehart's journey from a station in Pilbara to the helm of Australia’s largest private mining company is a story of resilience, ambition, and an unwavering commitment to her family’s legacy. Today, she remains a central figure in both Australian business and the global resources industry.

Cracking 10 Unknown Facts About Gina Rinehart

Gina Rinehart's Four Children

1. Gina was discovered to have paid up to $200 per witness to a private investigator during her legal battle with Rose over her late father's estate. The witnesses' testimony was largely speculative.

2. Following an investigation, she was accused of attempted murder for hire, adultery, and witchcraft.

3. Hope Rinehart Welker, Gina's daughter, filed a commercial action in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2011 for what she believed to be related reasons regarding the trustee's actions. Hope's brother John and sister Bianca were later identified as parties to the lawsuit, which aimed to remove Hope as the only trustee.

4. Gina, a prominent figure in the mining sector, is against government control and worries about the detrimental effects of high salaries, high taxes, and prohibitions on foreign investment.

5. Gina established Australians for Northern Development and Economic Vision (ANDEV) and serves as its chair in an effort to allay these worries.

6. Gina complained to Lang about being a laughingstock in a correspondence between the father and daughter that was revealed in court after Gina got into an argument with her stepmother.

7. In those letters, Lang bitterly asked Gina to “allow me to remember you as the neat, trim, capable and attractive young lady” that she had been, rather than “the slothful, vindictive and devious baby elephant that you have become.” She was “grossly overweight,” he wrote. “I am glad your mother cannot see you now.”

8. Frank, Gina's second husband, was disbarred after being found guilty of tax fraud in the United States, according to Adele Ferguson's biography of Gina, "Gina Rinehart: The Untold Story of the Richest Woman in the World."

9. Gina is well-known for traveling to Cambodian orphanages for girls.

10. She is a member of SISHA's expert advisory board, a non-profit in Cambodia that fights human trafficking by helping and rescuing women and children who have been sexually exploited.

Top 10 Richest Persons in Australia

Mining tycoon Andrew Forrest, whose net worth is estimated at $21.5 billion, is not far behind. Forrest has gained notoriety for his environmentally conscious projects. Known for his pledge to produce 14 gigawatts of clean energy by 2030, Forrest's wealth now includes a family component, acknowledging the needs of his divorced wife Nicola, whom he split from last year. A prior to their divorce, the couple gave their charitable foundation shares in Fortescue worth $3.4 billion.

Property tycoon Harry Triguboff, dubbed 'high-rise Harry' due to the numerous tall apartment buildings built by his company Meriton, has found financial success in tackling the nation's housing crisis. With a net worth of $16.2 billion, Triguboff remains at the top of the wealth ladder despite being nonagenarian. This is the entire list:

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