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Harry’s number one

The three richest people in Australia have a combined wealth of more than $29 billion ... and they’re all Jewish.

By Joshua Levi June 2, 2016, 12:00 am Edit
Our Big Kitchen’s Rabbi Dovid Slavin took a large challah in the shape of the number one to Harry Triguboff when he was named the richest person in Australia.
Our Big Kitchen’s Rabbi Dovid Slavin took a large challah in the shape of the number one to Harry Triguboff when he was named the richest person in Australia.

THE three richest people in Australia have a combined wealth of more than $29 billion … and they’re all Jewish.

The biggest celebrations have been in the house of property developer and Meriton owner Harry Triguboff, who topped the list with an estimated worth of $10.62 billion according to the Australian Financial Review.

“There will be parties,” he told The AJN.

“With the family tonight,” he said last Friday, “the staff on Monday and then they might ­continue”.

Triguboff said that when he built his first apartment building in 1963 he never imaged being the richest person in Australia.

“I’m excited because it took a long time to get to the top so it’s a big thing,” Triguboff said.

Despite his rise to the top of the list, Triguboff said that as he slowly approaches retirement he has realised some of the mistakes that he made along the way.

“I recently nominated some people as directors who had worked for me for a long time, and now they look upon the business as if they are the boss and it made a really big difference.

“I’m getting more people around me, which I probably should have done early because I did too much myself.”

Following Triguboff on the rich list is Visy executive chairman Anthony Pratt in second place with $10.35 billion and Westfield founder Frank Lowy in third with $8.26 billion.

Rounding out the top 10 is John Gandel in fifth place, with $5.40 billion, and Ivan Glasenberg, who lost nearly $3 billion this year but is still in ninth spot with $3.3 billion.

Three other Jewish businessman are listed by the Australian Financial Review in the top 50 richest people, each with an estimated value of more than $1 billion.

Solomon Lew is in 15th spot with $2.13 billion, Raphael Geminder is in 42nd with $1.22 billion and Alex Waislitz is in 47th with $1.13 billion.

The extended rich list of 200 people includes Nechama Werdiger, whose husband Nathan passed away in January, Ervin and Charlotte Vidor, Naomi Milgrom and AJN owner Bob Magid.

JOSHUA LEVI

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