According to last month’s AFR Rich List, Australia’s richest man is packaging magnate Richard Pratt and his impressive $12.9 billion fortune.
Yet, the tile probably belongs to none other than media honcho Rupert Murdoch after his personal fortune was revealed at a staggering $US19.2 billion or $26 billion in Aussie money.
Murdoch, of course, is a US citizen, hence why he’s never included in the AFR’s annual list of the mega rich.
According to Forbes’ just released list of the world’s billionaires, the Australian-born Murdoch is now the 56th richest human being on the planet.
Murdoch’s personal wealth has skyrocketed lately following Disney’s offer to buy Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox for $US52.4 billion. It’s also expected that another player, Comcast, will counter Disney with an even bigger offer, sending Rupert’s bank balance even higher.
But at the ripe old age of 87, it’s unclear how much longer Murdoch will stay on before retiring to spend his mega squillions. Both Murdoch’s sons, Lachlan and James, have been touted as his successor. It’s thought Lachlan will likely take over the CEO role of Fox, however, James’ next move remains unclear.
