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James Douglas Packer (born 8 September 1967) is an Australian
billionaire A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least one billion (1,000,000,000, i.e., a thousand million) units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. The American busi ...
businessman and investor. Packer is the son of
Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling ...
, a media mogul, and his wife, Roslyn Packer . He is the grandson of
Sir Frank Packer Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer (3 December 19061 May 1974), was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine Network. He was a patriarch of the Packer family. Early life Frank Packer was born in K ...
. He inherited control of the family company, Consolidated Press Holdings Limited, as well as investments in
Crown Resorts Crown Resorts Limited is Australia's largest gaming and entertainment group that owns and operates two of Australia's leading gambling and entertainment complexes, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth. It was listed on the Australian Securities E ...
and other companies. He is the former executive chairman of
Publishing and Broadcasting Limited Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) was one of Australia's largest corporations. With interests primarily in media and gambling, for the entirety of its existence it was largely controlled by the Packer family. History Predecessors PB ...
(PBL) and
Consolidated Media Holdings Consolidated Media Holdings (CMH) was an Australia investment company focused on subscription television. History Consolidated Media Holdings (CMH) was a publicly listed Australian company. Its two largest shareholders were Consolidated Press ...
, which predominantly owned media interests across a range of platforms, and a former executive chairman of Crown Resorts. , Packer's
net worth Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, net ...
was assessed as 5.72 
billion Billion is a word for a large number, and it has two distinct definitions: *1,000,000,000, i.e. one thousand million, or (ten to the ninth power), as defined on the short scale. This is its only current meaning in English. * 1,000,000,000,000, i. ...
by the ''
Financial Review Rich List The ''Financial Review Rich List'', formerly known as the ''BRW Rich 200'', is a list of Australia's two hundred wealthiest individuals and families, ranked by personal net worth published annually in ''The Australian Financial Review Magazine' ...
'', ranking him as the fifteenth-wealthiest Australian; he was the richest person in Australia in 2006 and 2007. ''
Forbes Asia ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...
'' magazine assessed Packer's net worth at 3.6 billion in January 2019, the ninth-richest Australian. In June 2022, the Federal Court approved Blackstone's takeover of Crown Casinos, delivering Packer 3.36 billion in exchange for his 37 per cent stake in the company, which he has been involved with since 1999.


Early life and education

James Packer was born in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
, the son of philanthropist Roslyn (née Weedon) and
media mogul A media proprietor, media mogul or media tycoon refers to a entrepreneur who controls, through personal ownership or via a dominant position in any media-related company or enterprise, media consumed by many individuals. Those with significant co ...
Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling ...
. His grandfather was the media proprietor Sir
Frank Packer Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer (3 December 19061 May 1974), was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine Network. He was a patriarch of the Packer family. Early life Frank Packer was born in ...
. Packer was educated at Cranbrook School in
Bellevue Hill, Sydney Bellevue Hill is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, located five kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the Municipality of Woollahra. The suburb is located within the Divis ...
. After obtaining the Higher School Certificate (HSC) at Cranbrook, he began working at his father's extensive
Newcastle Waters Newcastle Waters is a town and locality off the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. The nearest petrol station and accommodation is found south at Elliott. The Newcastle Waters School draws most of its few students from the Marlinja hom ...
cattle station In Australia and New Zealand, a cattle station is a large farm ( station is equivalent to the American ranch), the main activity of which is the rearing of cattle. The owner of a cattle station is called a '' grazier''. The largest cattle stat ...
in the
Barkly Tableland The Barkly Tableland is a rolling plain of grassland in Australia. It runs from the eastern part of the Northern Territory into western Queensland. It is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory and covers , 21% of the Northern Terr ...
of the
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
, where he was a jackeroo. Packer has stated he did not attend university as he "didn't have the marks". His mentors, he has said, include his father and corporate executive Albert J. Dunlap.


Career

Packer is the major shareholder and a director of Crown Resorts Limited, one of Australia's largest casino groups. In October 2017, Crown's market capitalisation was over A$8 billion. Every year Crown's Australian resorts attract over 31 million visits.


Early internet investments

Following the dotcom crash of 2000–2001, Packer acquired stakes in the online classified sites SEEK and Carsales.com, believing that newspaper companies relying heavily on classified advertising were vulnerable to online companies in categories including employment and vehicle listings. Packer purchased a 25% stake in SEEK for A$33 million in August 2003. He sold most of his stake six years later for A$440 million. At Packer's urging, the magazine group then controlled by his family,
Australian Consolidated Press Are Media is an Australian media company that was formed after the 2020 purchase of the assets of Bauer Media Australia, which had in turn acquired the assets of Pacific Magazines, AP Magazines and Australian Consolidated Press during the 201 ...
, acquired a 41% stake in online advertiser Carsales in October 2005. The deal, initially valued at A$100 million, was eventually worth A$462 million to Packer-controlled entities.


Selling Channel Nine

In March 2006, Packer began discussing whether to sell Channel Nine and the Australian Consolidated Press magazine group to help fund his move into the international gaming and tourism business. Given changes in media due to the Internet and pay-TV, Packer was concerned about the future of free-to-air television. On 17 October 2006, Packer's team finalised a deal to sell 50% of the media assets—which also included a 50% stake in web portal
Ninemsn Nine.com.au (formerly Ninemsn) is an Australian news and current events website, owned by ASX-listed company, Nine Entertainment Co. It was originally established as a 50:50 joint venture between Microsoft and PBL Media (now Nine Entertainmen ...
and a 51% stake in Carsales—to private equity group CVC Asia Pacific for A$4.5 billion, plus an additional A$1 billion in equity in the new company, which would be called PBL Media. In June 2007, Packer sold another 25% share of the joint-venture PBL Media to CVC for $515 million. In October 2008, Packer wrote down his final 25% stake in PBL Media to zero. By the end of 2012, debt from CVC's acquisition had overwhelmed Channel Nine and US hedge funds ousted CVC, taking complete ownership.


One.Tel

Packer was a director of Australian Telecommunications company One.Tel, which was declared insolvent during May 2001. The collapse of One.Tel cost PBL A$327 million. Packer admitted at a PBL annual general meeting that he had learned "painful lessons" from the collapse of One.Tel. Later at the liquidator's inquiry over the collapse he denied that he was apologising for his own conduct; instead, he claimed, "I was making an apology for accepting the bona fides of Mr. odeeRich and the executive directors of One.Tel." In April 2014,
Lachlan Murdoch Lachlan Keith Murdoch (; born 8 September 1971) is a British-Australian businessman and mass media heir. He is the executive chairman of Nova Entertainment, co-chairman of News Corp, executive chairman and CEO of Fox Corporation, and the f ...
and Packer agreed to a A$40 million settlement over the One.Tel failure. The settlement was approved by the
Supreme Court of New South Wales The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. Whilst the Supreme Court ...
on 17 April 2014, with A$14.93 million to be paid by the Packer family's Consolidated Press Holdings, A$11.77 million to be paid by Packer's
Crown Resorts Crown Resorts Limited is Australia's largest gaming and entertainment group that owns and operates two of Australia's leading gambling and entertainment complexes, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth. It was listed on the Australian Securities E ...
and A$13.3 million to be paid by
News Corp News Corporation, stylized as News Corp, is an American mass media and publishing company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The second incarnation of the original News Corporation, it was formed on June 28, 2013, following a ...
.


Crown Resorts Limited

Since his father's death, Packer has moved away from the family's traditional media businesses and focused on creating a worldwide gambling empire:
Crown Resorts Crown Resorts Limited is Australia's largest gaming and entertainment group that owns and operates two of Australia's leading gambling and entertainment complexes, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth. It was listed on the Australian Securities E ...
. Crown is one of Australia's largest gambling and resort groups. It has businesses and investments in the integrated resort and casino sectors in Australia and Macau, and wholly owns and operates a high-end casino in London, Crown Aspinall's. In October 2017, Crown's market capitalization was over $8 billion. Crown's two Australian resorts, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth, feature over 2,750 hotel rooms, villas, gambling areas, resort pools, spas, restaurants and retail, convention centres and live entertainment venues. Every year Crown's Australian resorts and casinos attract over 31 million visits. Over one third of Crown's revenue in fiscal 2016 was estimated to be generated from international visitors, mostly from Asia. Crown announced investment of over A$4.1 billion between fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2017, to upgrade and open new attractions at its Australian resorts, including the significant development A$2 billion Crown Sydney Hotel Resort which is expected to open in 2020. In 2009, Crown lost 250 million in failed casino investment company in the US, Fontainebleau Resorts. Crown also paid 242 million for a stake in Station Casinos which is now considered almost worthless. As at 30 June 2013, Crown held a 33.7% equity interest in MCE. Crown's initial investment in Melco Crown Entertainment was 600 million, the market cap of Crown's investment as at 30 October 2013, was 6.2 billion. At Crown's annual meeting in October 2013 Packer said "Crown's investment through our partnership with Melco International Development has now grown to be one of the largest Australian joint-venture partnerships operating inside China". Crown completed the sell down of this investment in May 2017. Betfair Australasia was formed as a 50/50 joint venture between Crown Resorts and Betfair Group plc. In August 2014, Crown Resorts announced it had acquired Betfair Group plc's 50% equity interest in Betfair Australasia Pty Limited (Betfair Australasia) for consideration of $10 million. In 2011, Packer's ASX-listed Crown Limited acquired a 100% interest in Aspinall's Club in London, developed through a joint venture between Crown and Packer's family friend,
Damian Aspinall John Damian Androcles Aspinall (born 24 May 1960) is an English businessman and conservation biology, conservationist. He has raised and released a number of zoo-bred lowland gorillas in Gabon. Early life Aspinall is the son of Jane Gordon Hasti ...
, the son of John Aspinall. Crown has since rebranded Aspinall's Club to Crown Aspinall's. Together with Damian Aspinall, Packer's Crown Resorts holds a 50% equity interest in a group of casino complexes in the UK called Aspers, which operate four regional casinos in
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
, Stratford, East London,
Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...
and
Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England ...
. Packer's bid for a UK "supercasino" based in Cardiff fell through when only one licence was granted, to the northern city of Manchester. In December 2014, Crown Resorts signed a deal with Matthew Tripp, which gave Crown Resorts control over Tripp's online betting platform, CrownBet, formerly known as BetEasy. In April 2016 CrownBet pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching laws by publishing illegal betting advertising that offered inducements for NSW residents to gamble. According to the NSW Department of Justice, CrownBet "sought to have the matters finalised without conviction in Downing Centre Local Court ..... but Magistrate Joanne Keogh said convictions were necessary for general deterrence to others in the industry and to protect the vulnerable. CrownBet was convicted of the five offences and ordered to pay a total of $10,500 in fines and also ordered to pay ... legal costs of $10,000." On 21 March 2018, Packer resigned as executive chairman of Crown Resorts. On 6 October 2020, Packer appeared before an independent inquiry into Crown's suitability to hold casino licence in NSW. When questioned over impropriety, illegality and corruption, Packer admitted that while a director of Crown he made “shameful” and “disgraceful” threats against businessman Ben Gray. In February 2021, the inquiry found that Crown was unsuitable to hold a casino licence due in part to Packer's threats to Ben Gray, as well as its "continued commercial relationships with junket operators who had links to Triads and other organised crime groups.” While under questioning by the inquiry, Packer revealed he has been diagnosed with
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevat ...
. In February 2022,
The Blackstone Group Blackstone Inc. is an American alternative investment management company based in New York City. Blackstone's private equity business has been one of the largest investors in leveraged buyouts in the last three decades, while its real estate b ...
acquired Crown Resorts for A$8.9 billion (US$6.4 billion). Packer held 37% of Crown Resorts stock at the time of the sale. He received A$3.36 billion for his shares.


Other business activities

Packer purchased an 18% stake in
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of fiv ...
in 2010, quickly offloading half to Lachlan Murdoch. Three months later, after a dispute with Murdoch over a senior management appointment, Packer resigned his
Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of fiv ...
board seat. There was also speculation that he resigned due to a conflict of interest with his interests in Consolidated Media Holdings. Following the implementation of CBS's restructure of Network Ten announced in August 2017, Packer will no longer have an interest in Network Ten. In late May 2011, Packer made a reported A$80 million investment in daily deals sites Scoopon and Catch of the Day through a partnership between his Consolidated Press Holding and several other investors, including Andrew Bassat, a co-founder of Seek.com.au. In December 2012, Packer and producer-filmmaker
Brett Ratner Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He directed the ''Rush Hour'' film series, '' The Family Man'', '' Red Dragon'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and ''Tower Heist''. He is also a producer of several film ...
formed a joint venture,
RatPac Entertainment RatPac Entertainment (also known as RatPac-Dune Entertainment, a co-financing agreement it was part of) was an American motion picture production company owned by producer-director Brett Ratner. RatPac was founded by Ratner and billionaire James ...
. The first film financed by RatPac was a major success. ''
Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
'', a space thriller directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, generated the strongest-ever October opening in the US and took box office receipts of more than 100 million in its first five days. "We all know it roducing moviesis a high-risk business and when your first movie starts like this all you can say is 'thank you'", Packer said. Packer sold his investment in RatPac for an undisclosed amount in April 2017. According to ''Filmink'' "Who knows what sort of legacy James Packer is going to leave when he shuffles off this mortal coil, but I maintain the films he helped finance...will stand out among the more positive achievements." In October 2014, Packer bought out
Peter Holmes à Court Peter Holmes à Court (born 1968) is an Australian businessman. He is the eldest son of the late billionaire businessman Robert Holmes à Court and Janet Holmes à Court. He was well known as a joint owner of the National Rugby League team South ...
's 37.5% share of the ownership of
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league club based in Redfern, a suburb of inner-southern Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and are one of nine existing tea ...
NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
club, becoming
Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
's partner in the Blackcourt League Investments Pty Limited venture. In late 2016, Israeli Police started looking into reports that Packer gave members of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
's family gifts and benefits. Packer, who is trying to gain residency in Israel, has taken the first step and registered with Israeli tax authorities. In February 2018, Packer was mentioned in an Israeli Police report recommending the prosecution of Netanyahu on corruption charges for accepting bribes, and acting against the interests of the state of Israel. Packer is mentioned in the report to have provided Netanyahu and his family members with champagne, cigars, jewelry and clothing valued at approximately US$100,000. In May 2019, Packer sold half of his stake in Crown Resorts to
Lawrence Ho Lawrence Ho Yau-lung (; born 1977) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian businessman. Starting his career as an investment banker at Jardine Fleming and Citibank, in 2001 he took over operations at Melco International. Later named chairman and CEO, ...
.


Personal life

Packer owns residential property in
Bondi Beach Bondi Beach is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council, in the Easter ...
and in Bellevue Hill, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The Packer family also have pastoral property holdings in , called ''Ellerston Station'', and, since 2018, owned by his sister, Gretel. Packer and actress
Kate Fischer Tziporah Atarah Malkah (born Katherine Helen Fischer; 30 November 1973) is an Australian former model and actress. Early life and career Kate Fischer was born on 30 November 1973 in Adelaide, South Australia, the daughter of future Australian ...
separated in 1998 after five years together and a two-year engagement. Packer married
Jodhi Meares Jodhi Meares (born 24 March 1971) is an Australian glamour model, television personality and fashion designer. Career Meares took her first steps into the spotlight when she was chosen as a model for Moove, a brand of flavoured milk. In 1992, ...
at his home in Bellevue Hill, Sydney in October 1999; the relationship lasted two years, and the couple separated in 2002. Following the breakdown of his first marriage, and the development of a friendship with American actor
Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...
, Packer began attending the
Church of Scientology in Australia Scientology has existed in Australia since the early 1950s. The number of Scientology adherents varies depending upon the source; according to the Australian Census, it has a declining population: 1,655 members in 2021, down from 1,681 in 2016 a ...
, taking courses on the Church's
Dundas Dundas may refer to: Places Australia * Dundas, New South Wales * Dundas, Queensland, a locality in the Somerset Region * Dundas, Tasmania * Dundas, Western Australia * Fort Dundas, a settlement in the Northern Territory 1824–1828 * Shire ...
business centre in 2002. He subsequently confirmed his involvement with Scientology, saying he had found it "helpful". He later distanced himself from the church. Packer later married part-time model and singer Erica Baxter, whom he wed in the equivalent of a civil ceremony on 20 June 2007. The wedding was at the Antibes town hall, and the second ceremony took place at Hotel du Cap – Eden Roc in
Cap d'Antibes Antibes (, also , ; oc, label= Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France, on the Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is in the commune of Antibes and the Sophi ...
on the
French Riviera The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend from ...
. Together, Packer and Baxter have three children: daughter Indigo, born 27 July 2008, son Jackson Lloyd, born 1 February 2010, and daughter Emmanuelle Sheelah, born 22 September 2012. According to ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'', Packer met struggling actress Charlotte Kirk in November 2012 when she was 20 and Packer was 45, and the two embarked on a relationship. In September 2013 James and Erica Packer announced they were separating. Packer was involved in a public physical brawl at Bondi Beach in 2014 with David Gyngell, a long-term friend and head of Channel Nine. Gyngell and Packer were both fined $500 for offensive behaviour over the incident. Packer and American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...
became engaged in January 2016, but had broken up by October. At the time it was alleged that the break-up was a result of Carey's extravagant spending and rows over her reality show ''
Mariah's World ''Mariah's World'' is an American reality show that premiered on December 4, 2016 on the E! cable network. Announced in March 2016, the eight-episode series follows the life of singer Mariah Carey as she begins her The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour a ...
'', but Packer later said that the relationship had just been a "mistake" for both sides. In November 2017, Packer paid Carey a multi-million dollar settlement, in response to a lawsuit pursued by Carey citing an "inconvenience fee". In 2019, James Packer was dating Kylie Lim.


Net worth

Packer first appeared on various wealth lists in 2006, following the death of his father the previous year and the intergeneration transfer of the bulk of Kerry Packer's wealth to his son, James. James Packer's wealth was valued at A$7.25 billion. A television report on 21 June 2007 alleged that Packer had lost in excess of A$1 billion over the previous six months in 2007 due to poor investment decisions and falling profits. The 2008 ''BRW'' Rich 200 listed Packer as the third-richest person in Australia with a personal wealth of A$6.1 billion, behind
Fortescue Metals Group Fortescue Metals Group Limited (often referred to as Fortescue Metals Group, FMG, or simply Fortescue) is an Australian iron ore company. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world. The company has holdings of m ...
chief executive
Andrew Forrest John Andrew Henry Forrest (born 18 November 1961), nicknamed Twiggy, is an Australian businessman. He is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), and has other interests in the mining i ...
and
Westfield Group Westfield Group was an Australian shopping centre company that existed from 1960 to 2014, when it split into two independent companies: Scentre Group, which owns and operates the Australian and New Zealand Westfield shopping centre portfolio ...
's
Frank Lowy Sir Frank P. Lowy ( ; born 22 October 1930) is an Australian-Israeli businessman of Jewish Slovakian-Hungarian origins and the former long-time Chairman of Westfield Corporation, a global shopping centre company with billion of assets under ...
. That was the first time in 21 years that a member of the Packer family had not topped the list. According to ''BRW'', Packer's wealth dipped to an estimated A$3 billion during 2009. In its 2013 ''BRW Rich 200'' list, Packer was ranked third with his wealth estimated at A$6.0 billion, a boost of A$1.1 billion on the previous year. In the 2014 wealth rankings by ''BRW'', Packer's wealth was assessed at A$7.19 billion, making him the third-richest Australian. In 2015 ''BRW'' Rich 200, Packer's net worth was assessed at A$6.08 billion, making him the seventh-richest Australian. , Packer's net worth, according to the ''Financial Review'' Rich List, the successor of the ''BRW'' Rich 200, was assessed at 5.72 billion, making him the fifteenth wealthiest Australian. In January 2009, ''
The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper A broadsheet is the largest newspaper format and is characterized by long vertical pages, typically of . Other common newspaper formats include the smaller Berliner and tabloid ...
'' reported that due to ongoing financial problems, Packer's wealth dropped to under A$3 billion; also reporting that Packer listed for sale his Mangusta yacht and delayed the purchase of a Boeing business jet. Yet by mid-2010, it was reported that Packer owned a number of assets including ''Ellerston Z'' (a
superyacht A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from to ...
), ''Arctic P'' (a luxury cruise ship and former ice-breaker), a private jet, a 12-seater
Sikorsky S-76 The Sikorsky S-76 is a medium-size commercial utility helicopter designed and produced by the American helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. It is the company's first helicopter specifically developed for the civilian market. The S-76 ...
helicopter, and a variety of cars. , ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' magazine estimated Packer's wealth at 3.6 billion, down from the 6.60 billion published by ''Forbes'' in their 2014 list of the richest people in Australia. In the 2017 ''Forbes'' list of the 50 Richest Australians, Packer's net worth was assessed at 3.9 billion, making him the ninth-richest Australian.


Wealth rankings


Philanthropy

James Packer is the founder of both the Packer Family Foundation and Crown Resorts Foundation. In July 2014, the two foundations launched their 200 million National Philanthropic Fund, one of Australia's largest philanthropic commitments. According to the two foundations, they are working together to promote Indigenous education opportunities, the arts and culture, and partnerships with organisations that encourage and foster social cohesion. Underlying these priorities are learning, accessibility and engagement outcomes for young Australians – staying engaged with school and learning is the key to long-term positive outcomes, and this is the approach and message that the partner organisations are delivering.


See also

*
List of NRL club owners This is a list of club owners in the National Rugby League (NRL), the top league of professional rugby league clubs in Australasia. Current clubs See also * List of Super League rugby league club owners *List of professional sports team ow ...


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links


"Some Inspirational People"
Profiled by Laurence MacDonald Muir.
James Packer media profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Packer, James 1967 births Living people Australian billionaires Australian casino industry businesspeople Australian chief executives Australian investors Australian people of English descent Australian philanthropists Businesspeople from Sydney James People educated at Cranbrook School, Sydney Rugby league chairmen and investors South Sydney Rabbitohs