
The Australian Financial Review names its Business Person of the Year
Gina Rinehart has capped an extraordinary year of deal-making across the mining, energy, agribusiness and retail sectors by being named The Australian Financial Review Business Person of the Year at a ceremony in Sydney on Thursday evening. The annual AFR Business Person of the Year list recognises Australia’s top leaders, builders, pioneers and stirrers – and Mrs Rinehart could meet all four criteria. Her Hancock Prospecting empire, which is the biggest private company in the country by some margin, delivered another record year of shipments from its Roy Hill iron ore mine, with robust iron ore prices driving profits to more than $5 billion. The company has a staggering $38 billion in assets on its balance sheet, propelling Mrs Rinehart to the top of The Australian Financial Review’s Rich List for the fourth straight year.