RICHEST COASTERS
WHO TOPS THE LIST?
CLIVE Palmer has bounced back to claim top spot as the richest Gold Coaster.
The eccentric dinosaur-loving mining magnate and politician, with a wealth of $1.4 billion, clawed his way back to the top of the Gold Coast Rich List, reclaiming the title from property baron, Bob Ell.
Mr Palmers’s wealth, once estimated at $5.5 billion before plunging iron ore prices hit his mining empire and punters deserted his troubled Palmer Coolum Resort, improved his bank balance from $1.2 billion last year.
Mr Ell, the 70-year-old Budds Beach-based father-ofseven and founder of Leda Holdings, who is behind the giant Cobaki Lakes and Kings Forest estates, was relegated to second position with wealth of $1.32 billion.
However, its likely he’s still smiling after a string of highprofile sales to cashed-up Asian buyers.
Property developer Neville Pask ($600 million) rounds out the top three richest Gold Coasters on the 2015 BRW Rich 200.
The 84-year-old Main Beach-dwelling chairman of the Pask Group lifted his wealth by $100 million due to the success of his property development empire, which has a pipeline of major projects under way.
Dreamworld founder John Longhurst ($458 million) created his fortune manufacturing Victa motor mowers before developing the iconic theme park and investing in shopping centres.
The Longhurst family is now charting a new course, with controlling stakes in Gold Coast boat building companies.
Pastoralist Neil Statham, ($379 million) who made his pile from farming and manufacturing, calls a luxury riverfront Broadbeach Waters residence home.
From humble beginnings as an apprentice boilermaker, the 81-year-old went into manufacturing steel sheds for farmers and after 50 years sold his company Ranbuild and used the proceeds to buy successful farming ventures.
Honorary Gold Coaster and part-time Main Beach resident Harry Triguboff saw his wealth break through the $10 billion mark for the first time and enjoyed the biggest rise in wealth on the list, thanks to surging property prices.
Mr Triguboff, 82, who plans to continue expanding his apartment empire, is one of 53 property tycoons to make the rich list due to a red-hot market.
Gina Rinehart remains the richest Australian, despite her wealth shrinking by $5.99 billion to $14.02 billion because of falling ore prices.
Packaging king Anthony Pratt and family took second spot after a big year for their US-based business. Fourthranked Frank Lowy grew his wealth by $700 million after the restructure of Westfield received strong sharemarket backing.
Hong Kong-based billionaire Hui Wing Mau, who has Australian citizenship, has extensive property holdings in Sydney CBD office property and in China.
Total wealth of the BRW Rich 200 is up $16.81 billion to $193.61 billion.
There are 49 billionaires on the list – the most ever and includes three list debutants, all female.