#24 Albert von Thurn und Taxis, 23 is the youngest billionaire, with a fortune of 2 billion on Forbes list. The German born Prince, who is an avid race car driver for Germany is also going to school to study economics. His family gained their fortune in the postal service back in the 17th century. Mailmen everywhere wish the industry was still so profitable.
#23 Keira Knightly, 22, starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the trilogy to the Pirates movies. Like the other two Pirates movies, the third one received decent reviews. This year she has been featured on the cover of Elle, Elle Girl, Entertainment and Eve along with appearing in a Chanel perfume advertisement. Nice going!
#22 Esteban Cortazar, 22, is the youngest person ever to have their own fashion line. He has appeared on Opera and all over the fashion tents since debuting his flamenco meets fashionista line at age 18. His pieces are beautifully tailored and custom made to flatter the female shape. The Columbia born and Miami raised designer has been ripping apart runways with his pieces since ’02
#21 Prince William, 25, is celebrating a happy year in 2007 due to the simple fact that he now has access to the money from his late mother, Princess Diana. The prince is as of 2007 serving as a Cornet in the Blues and Royals regiment of the British Army’s Household Cavalry, like his younger brother, Prince Harry. Additionally he hosted the Princess Diana concert and broke up with his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton.
#20 Bow Wow, 20, has had a bittersweet year. He has had success with his single “Outta My System” and R.Kelly’s “I’m a Flirt” in which he is featured, and yet his year long relationship with Ciara fizzled to an end. Looks like “Lil” Bow Wow has a lot to learn in terms of relationships and how to treat a woman right.
#19 Maria Sharapova, 20, the gorgeous tennis player has had extreme success on and off the court. The 6’2 beauty achieved victory against Serena Williams at Wimbledon and was later named the number one ranked female tennis player in August 2005. Capitalizing on her tennis glory Sharapova has managed to squeeze modeling (for Sports Illustrated) creating her own perfume and doing various promotions that all in all have made her the highest paid female athlete in the world.
#18 Arctic Monkeys, between the ages of 21-22, are the English indie rock band who won the Best International Album at the Meteor Music Awards, Best British Album at both the 2007 BRIT Awards and NME Awards and New Artist of the Year at the PLUG Independent Music Awards. So I’d say they’ve had a good and successful year. What about you?
#17 Kelly Clarkson, 25, has hit a bump in the road. Fluctuating in weight and engaging in a very public spat with music great Clive Davis didn’t help her career at all. Her tour for her latest album, My December, did not sell out which was a complete bummer and as a result she fired her manager, who she felt was responsible for this. But her new single is strong on the charts, proving Ms. Clarkson is still one of the hottest stars in her generation.
#16 Apolo Ohno, 25, the American short track speed skating competitor, recently won the Dancing With the Stars Season 4 Competition, along with partner Julianne Hough. Fans across the country fell in love with his charm and the way he could move on the dance floor.
#15 Abigail Breslin, 11, was nominated for an oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Olive in Little Miss Sunshine. Since then has been working hard on movies for the year of 2008most recently charming audiences in the Catherine Zeta Jones flick, No Reservations .
#14 Ne-Yo, 24, is constantly on top. This summer he released his second album, Because of You, and since then has released two hit singles and was featured on Fabolous’ summer single, “Make Me Better” which has done extremely well on the radio.
#13 Scarlett Johansson, 22, has had a pretty low key year in terms of her acting career but that doesn’t mean she’s fallen off the radar. With a bunch of movies in production for 2008 and a starring role in a Justin Timberlake music video, as well as a rumored romance with the crooner, the classic beauty remains a talked about young star with a floor skimming resume and her pick of great projects. Look for her in her upcoming film alongside Natalie Portman.
#12 America Ferrera, 23, stars in Ugly Betty as Betty Suarez on ABC Television. The show has been a huge success this year earning Ferrera a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical and an award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Series - Comedy or Musical at the Satellite Awards, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the NAACP Image Awards.
#11 Amanda Bynes, 21, stars in this summer’s upcoming movie, Hairspray, as the lead role, Penny Pingleton. The movie has received excellent reviews and is bound to be an all around favorite. Watch our Nickelodeon star shine!
#10 Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, 21, are the identical twins that used to be inseparable in everything they did, including their movie choices. This year Mary-Kate decided to break their tradition and branch out on her own, starring in Showtime’s television series “Weeds,” where she will be playing the role of Tara. Additionally, the twins are still joined together on two fashion ventures (they’ll be debuting two different lines to be sold at high-end retailers) and in their control of their empire, DualStar.
#9 Shaun White, 20, is the ridiculously young and talented snowboarder and skateboarder who has come home with medals from every competition he’s entered since he was sixteen. The Flying Tomato as he is known has taken his xtreme infamy into films and to promote the clothing line he created with Burton.
#8 Carrie Underwood, 24, is the most successful American Idol alumnim killing it both at the Grammies and on the charts. Her debut album, Some Hearts, has gone multi-platinum and has become the biggest and fastest selling debut country album since 1991. Some Hearts was also named the number-one selling album of the year in all genres at the Billboard Music Awards.
#7 Shia LaBoeuf, 21, starred in Disturbia, Transformers and Surf’s Up in the year 2007. Time Magazine has made insinuations that the roles that LaBoeuf has taken on this year will undoubtedly turn him into a film star.
#6 Rihanna, 19, has had an incredible year. With the release of her album Good Girl Gone Bad, she has topped the Billboard charts for 9 consecutive weeks and could quite possibly make history by holding the number one spot for 10 consecutive weeks since 1991. Rihanna has also expressed that she would like to become the next black “Madonna,” how ambitious of her.
#5 Lindsay Lohan, 21, has one heck of a year now hasn’t she? With the poor reviews on her most recent movies, Georgia Rule and I Know Who Killed Me along with her out of control partying which led to a drunk driving car accident in May, this girl has some serious work to do in order to redeem herself. With two stints in Rehab a drug bust and DUI arrest it’s unclear where this young starlet is headed…besides the slammer. Even with all her career troubles; however, Lohan is undeniably hot. Her every move is documented in the tabloids and she has cemented herself as the most talked about star in Hollywood.
#4 Mark Zuckerberg, 22, is the proud owner of the popular Facebook.com website. Not only has www.facebook.com become popular among college students, but it has also reached out to high school students. It’s a fun way to keep in touch with friends and update others on what you’re doing. Unlike MySpace, Facebook generates a safer environment for its users. There’s no question about it- Facebook is the new craze among teens and young adults. Additionally, the sight has revolutionized keeping in touch post high-school and college. Three cheers for technology.
#3 Daniel Radcliffe, 18, the star of Harry Potter, has had a tremendous year with the opening of the fifth movie released this summer, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Additionally he took the stage in the West End production of Equus receiving glowing reviews and signed on for several other movie deals in addition to the final Potter films.
#2 Suri Cruise At only one-year-old Suri Cruise has not achieved more than any other infant in her age group. She can crawl, mumble and look cute. So what sets this baby apart from every other diaper donning baby? She is the child of Hollywood odd couple, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. This baby has enthralled the public since before she was even born and is sure to do so as the adorable tot celebrates more birthdays. With her thick mop of brown hair and her adorable blue eyes Suri can’t be too far from stealing the lime light from her famous parents.
#1 Bart Simpson After 18-years-on the small screen Bart Simpson has finally emerged as a bona fide movie star. With an international gross profit of more than $170 million everyone’s favorite menace has set records with The Simpson’s Movie . In his irreverent and hilarious debut, Bart and his family along with friends and guest stars engage on a tour de force of laughter and satire. The eternal 10-year-old trouble maker has set the gold standard for scheming prankster and brats everywhere. Bart; however, like many on this list, think Lindsay Lohan, has no escaped the trapping of fame. Acting out with late night prank calls and exposing his yellow butt cheeks to the world, Bart has had his fair share of run-ins with the law and with his parents. Bart has held strong to his commitment to debauchery though, no matter how many times he had to write otherwise on a chalk board. Bart’s number one spot on our list is a celebration of holding fast to dreams and the rare art of turning mischief into profit.
Queensland's share of the richest Australians have marked out their interests in the property, mining, wine, tourism and childcare sectors of the state.
Here are the men and women who have generated the most wealth in Queensland's rising economy, sourced from the lists published in Australia's most authoritative business magazine, BRW.
The BRW Rich 200 includes 26 Queenslanders among the 200 Australians who have amassed a collective worth of over $150 billion.
We have broken them into individuals, and then families.
But who are the individuals who are generating most personal wealth in Queensland. What business interests do they have and where did they start?
THE INDIVIDUALS
1. Terrence Peabody, 67 (married), Brisbane
Worth: $1.44 billion (last year $1.2 billion)
Business: Waste management
Mr Peabody's major company is Transpacific. He moved to Australia in the 1960s to work as an engineer on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, where he discovered that the main waste product from coal-fired power stations - fly ash - could be added to concrete to strengthen the concrete.
2. Timothy Fairfax, 60 (married, two children), Brisbane
Worth: $1.39 billion (last year $1.1 billion)
Business: Media investment
John B Fairfax and Timothy Fairfax returned to the Fairfax family company when the Fairfax Media merger with Rural Press - which was majority owned by John and Timothy's company Marinya Media - was approved in April 2007. The Fairfax family has been associated with Fairfax Media (or John Fairfax Holdings) since 1841. The two brothers bought Rural Press from their cousin Warwick and expanded the firm. The Brisbane Times, launched in March 2007, is one of the newest additions to the Fairfax empire. Publishes BRW.
3. Gordon Merchant (divorced, four children), Gold Coast
Worth: $904 million (last year $830 million)
Business: Founder, Billabong Surfwear
Still a keen surfer, the firm started when Merchant and his then-wife, Rena were making 20 pairs of boardshorts a week and selling them from a car. Today Billabong makes hundreds of thousands of garments a year and earns about 70% of its revenue overseas. Recently in the news for because his home sits beside the new Tugun Bypass on the Gold Coast.
4. Tom Hedley, 56 (divorced, one son), Cairns
Worth: $715 million (last year $515 million)
Business: Hotel and other property investments
Extra wealth is generated from the booming hotel industry. Mr Hedley has also bought nine Sydney hotels for around $300 million this year. He has a big interest in racehorses and is described as a "straightforward character". The Hedley Group includes a property investment arm, a construction business and a sheet metal and joinery division.
5. Kevin Seymour, 66 (married, two children), Brisbane
Worth: $598 million (last year $503 million)
Business: Property investment
Veteran Queensland property developer, who launched his own funds management business, Seymour Funds Management. Taps into the growth in Queensland's mining and infrastructure businesses. He was one of the original investors in TAB Queensland, which changed its name to UNiTAB, which merged with Tattersalls last year. His company, the Seymour Group is a major property developer and has built about 30 large businesses in Brisbane's CBD. Now starting to look outside Queensland for investments.
6. Denis Jen, 83 (married, two children), Toowoomba
Worth: $589 million (last year $580 million)
Business: Property investment
Mr Jen's property development group, Jen Retail Properties, has development applications set for major expansions at Marshall Lane at Kenmore and at the Birkenhead Point shopping centre in Sydney. The company already owns Kenmore Plaza and Kenmore Village Shopping Centre. Mr Jen moved to Australia from Taiwan and began property investments in the 1990s.
7. Gordon Fu (married, two children), Brisbane
Worth: $574 million (last year $430 million)
Business: Property and investments
Mr Fu owns 18 shopping centres in South-East Queensland and concentrates his business interests in retail property development. Among his properties are Toowong Village, Australia Fair at Southport, Booval Fair, Aspley Hypermarket and Redbank Plaza.
8. Ken Talbot, 56 (married, four children), Brisbane
Worth: $465 million (last year $447 million)
Business: Major investments in coal and hotel developments
Mr Talbot remains a director of Macarthur Coal, but has stood down as chief executive officer until the matter of court charges are resolved. Talbot faces 35 charges of corruptly gaining a valuable consideration after it was revealed he made loans of about $300,000 to former Queensland Government minister Gordon Nuttall. Earlier this year the Talbot Group and Chinese company CITIC took an interest in a small uranium firm called Southern Uranium.
9. Maha Sinnathamby, 67 (married, four children), Brisbane
Worth: $445 million (last year $405 million)
Business: Property development
The man who saw the potential of Springfield, the residential property development between Ipswich and Brisbane, which could have 85,000 residents by the year 2020. Mr Sinnathamby bought the 2860 hectare site for $7.9 million in the early 1990s and began development through his private company, Springfield Land Corporation. It now includes campuses of the University of Southern Queensland and Bremer TAFE, and an education precinct concept is being steadily developed. It is likely to be connected to the Brisbane CBD by rail within a decade.
10. John Longhurst, 74 (divorced, six children), Queensland
Worth: $404 million (last year $203 million)
Business: Property development
Bought the original 85-hectare site at Coomera, which is now the Dreamworld theme park. He is also a half-share owner in the Logan Hyperdome, which is worth more than $280 million. His son Tony Longhurst won Bathurst 1000 race twice.
11. Reg Rowe, 63 (married), Brisbane
Worth: $408 million (last year $260 million)
Business: Retail and property investments
Founded the Super Cheap Auto chain. He has stepped back from the day-to-day operations, but still retains a 49% interest in the company. Super Cheap Auto is Australia's leading auto accessory store. It began as a mail-order company in 1972 from the Rowe's family home.
12. Philip Adams, 52 (married, four children) and Michael King, 42 (married), Gold Coast
Worth: $370 million (last year $210 million)
Business: Investment and property
The pair owns a large share in the investment bank MFS which was born out of the Gold Coast law firm, McLaughlins Solicitors. The firm is steadily growing interests in property management trust. BRW expects MFS to announce a series of hotel deals in the Middle East in the next 12 months.
13. Philip Sullivan, 63 (married, three children from previous relationship), Brisbane
Worth: $339 million (last year $300 million)
Business: Finance and property
Mr Sullivan runs the finance and property group, City Pacific. The firm is involved in investment products, finance products and property development through its listed subsidiary, CP1. Is now becoming interested in luxury retirement resorts.
14. Graham Turner, 57 (married, two children), Brisbane
Worth: $315 million (last year $229 million)
Business: Travel services
Founder and managing director of Flight Centre. He is also a financial supporter of the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, which buys rural properties and turns them into wildlife nature reserves. Flight Centre started in 1981. Turner studied veterinary science. His property is mainly in Queensland, but there is some in London and Sydney.
15. Clive Berghofer (divorced, four children), Toowoomba
Worth: $300 million (last year $280 million)
Business: Property
Mr Berghofer can almost claim to be Mr Toowoomba. He was mayor for 11 years and has developed more than 8000 residential blocks over the past 30 years. He has given $2 million in the past 12 months. He backed the "no" case against recycled water in Toowoomba last year.
16. Eddie Groves, 40 (married), Brisbane
Worth: $295 million (last year $325 million)
Business: Childcare, sport
Investments in childcare and of course, basketball. He founded the childcare group, ABC Learning Centres and is now pushing into the United States. He also owns the Brisbane Bullets basketball team which took out the NBL championship title.
17. Graeme Wood, 60 (married, three children), Brisbane
Worth: $251 million (first time on list)
Business: Travel services
The founder of the internet travel company Wotif.com. He was born in Rockhampton, but lives in Brisbane. He began his career with NCR, before joining IBM, then launching Wotif in 2000. It allows hotel operators to list unoccupied hotel rooms, allowing people to rent them. It started with 60 properties online, now has 9100 providers.
18. Michael Gordon, 43 (married, two children), Brisbane
Worth: $200 million (last year $150 million)
Business: Childcare investment
Founded and sold his childcare company Peppercorn (to Groves' ABC Learning Centres) in September 2004, for $120 million. This helped him establish an investment vehicle called Bydand which invests in retirement communities.
19. Terry Morris, 67 (married, two children), Gold Coast
Worth: $190 million (last year $184 million)
Business: Property, wine production, motor sport
Mr Morris moved from Victoria to the Gold Coast in 1975. He began selling discounted cigarettes from Queensland to interstate buyers. His main vineyard is Sirromet, near Mt Cotton, near Capalaba. He has another vineyard at Ballandean near Stanthorpe. Mr Morris has also established the Holden Performance Driving Centre on the Gold Coast with the car manufacturer.
20. Craig Gore, 40 (married, two children), Gold Coast
Worth: $180 million (last year $154 million)
Business: Wine
Mr Gore makes and exports Australian wine to the United States through his company Aussie Vineyards. He is backing driver Marcus Ambrose's push in to the NASCAR racing circuit, but the heart of his interests is a finance services group, Wright, Patton Shakespeare which also backs Craig Gore's V8 Supercar team. He is also involved in property development, earthmoving and construction.
FAMILIES:
The Anderson family, Brisbane
Worth: $552 million (last year $490 million)
Business: Manufacturing and property development
The base of the family wealth comes from manufacturer GWA International which has three main division; Sebel furnishings, Caroma bathroom products and Rover mowers. The Anderson family owns about 35 per cent of this company. The family head, Barry Thornton is chairman of GWA International and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Queensland Division.
The Juniper family, Sunshine Coast
Worth: $444 million (last year $335 million)
Business: Property development
The main investment vehicle is property company Juniper Development Group, where Graeme Juniper, 61, and his 36 year old son, Shaun, are joint managing directors. Most of their wealth is generated from residential property development on the South-East Queensland coastline. The 77-story Soul Surfers Paradise retail and apartment tower, set to be finished in 2011, is their major project. Shaun is interested in motor racing and is likely to drive the Juniper-sponsored Porsche 911, GT3 in the second half of the Carrera Cup schedule.
The Saragossi family, Brisbane
Worth: $350 million (last year $322 million)
Business: Building products manufacturer
Lewis Saragossi, now runs the parent company G James Glass, which makes building products. The name comes from the Mr Saragossi's grandfather, who was christened George James. The company also invests in property - mainly industrial estates and office parks.
The Richards family, Brisbane
Worth: $236 million (last year $188 million)
Business: Waste management services
The family owns JJ Richards, the largest privately-owned management company in Australia. The family also has a 4.3% stake in rival waste management company Transpacific. The patriarch of the family is John Richards.
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