Jew News: Why your leaders don't listen to you, or wealthy Australian Jews score a rich list trifecta
Benway (original non-Zionist)
up the top three positions in the BRW Rich 200
list.
Despite the tough economic climate, the top three
positions were taken by Jewish people Anthony
Pratt ($4.3 billion), Frank Lowy ($4.2 billion)
and Harry Triguboff ($3.66 billion).
Jewish families also took out the top three
positions in the wealthiest family list Smorgon
family ($2.2 billion), Liberman family ($1.8
billion) and Besen family ($1.73 billion). Rich
200 stalwart James Packer and last year's leader
Andrew Forrest dropped back following significant
year-on-year losses in both the gaming industry
and resources respectively.
Despite a $1.18 billion loss year-on-year, Pratt
topped the list in Australia just months after
inheriting the Visy cardboard empire from his
father Richard. Richard Pratt was on the rich list
for 25 years, but the title of BRW's richest
Australian eluded him.
Anthony assumed the role of executive chairman
following Richard's death on April 28. BRW
reported Anthony now shares the ownership of the
Visy empire with his mother Jeanne and sisters
Heloise Waislitz and Fiona Geminder. A drop in
retail spending and a decline in the price of
Westfield Group's shares saw Lowy drop an
estimated $2 billion in wealth.
Despite the loss, the Rich 200 stalwart this year
claimed second position. With the second highest
gain on the list ($410 million), Sydney property
tycoon Triguboff rounded out the top three.
Contrary to most of his contemporaries, the
depressed economy presented many opportunities for
Triguboff.
With minimal debt BRW reported that Triguboff who
has an aversion to debt following an experience
during the 1973 recession was able to capitalise
on other developers' failed opportunities. This
year's BRW Rich 200 saw a $25 billion or an 18 per
cent decline in wealth on last year, with the
entry level dropping from $200 million to $150
million and the number of Australian billionaires
falling from 38 to 28. NSW had the most (70)
followed by Victoria (50).
Jews in the BRW Rich 200
1. Anthony Pratt and family
2. Frank Lowy
3. Harry Triguboff
7. John Gandel
18. Maurice Alter
27. Solomon Lew
47. David Goldberger and David Wieland
54. Naomi Milgrom
70. Nathan Werdiger
77. Jack Bendat
82. Charlotte Vidor and Ervin Vidor
103. Hilton Nathanson
105. Robert Magid
114. Iris Lustig-Moar and Max Moar
141. David Shein and family
142. David Mandie
145. Allan Moss
192. Philip Wolanski
197. Brian Sherman
