Business Chief APAC+ANZ Magazine September 2014 | Page 47

AUSTRALIA ’ S HIGHEST EARNERSS
BY THE AGE of 60 , Rineheart has not only become the richest person in Australia , but also the richest woman in the world , with an estimated net worth just over $ 20 billion . As the executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting , Rinehart inherited the mining business from her father , Lang Hancock .
Among her biggest achievements are completing the debt financing of her $ 10 billion Roy Hill iron ore project in Western Australia in March 2014 .
The project was marked as the biggest financing deal in the world , with up to 19 banks involved .
Since 2011 , Rineheart has held the position as the richest woman in Australia while recently focusing on developing Hancock ’ s Prospecting ’ s undeveloped deposits , raising capital through joint venture partnerships and turning leases into revenue producing mines .
47