Gina Rinehart

Gina Rinehart
Born	Georgina Hope Hancock 9 2, 1954
Birthplace	Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Mining executive, company chairman
Known for	Executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting
Education	St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls
Children	4
Awards	Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women

Georgina Hope Rinehart (née Hancock; born 9 February 1954) is an Australian billionaire mining magnate and businesswoman who serves as the executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting, a privately owned mineral exploration and extraction company founded by her father, Lang Hancock. Born and raised in Western Australia, Rinehart inherited the chairmanship of the company upon her father's death in 1992 and subsequently oversaw a dramatic expansion of the firm's operations, transforming it from a royalty-collecting enterprise into one of Australia's most significant mining conglomerates. Through the iron ore boom of the early 2000s and strategic diversification into agriculture, media, and critical minerals, Rinehart accumulated a fortune that has made her Australia's richest person and, at various points, the richest woman in the world. Her net worth has fluctuated considerably with global commodity prices, reaching approximately A$29 billion in 2012 before declining and then surging again to exceed A$37 billion by 2023. In recent years, Rinehart has expanded Hancock Prospecting's investments into rare earth elements, lithium, and other critical minerals, as well as making notable forays into international equities markets.

Early Life

Georgina Hope Hancock was born on 9 February 1954 in Perth, Western Australia, to Lang Hancock and Hope Nicholas Hancock. She was Lang Hancock's only child. Her father was a prominent mining figure in Western Australia, known for his role in the discovery of vast iron ore deposits in the Pilbara region during the 1950s, which would later underpin one of the world's largest iron ore mining provinces.

Rinehart spent her early childhood years in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia, an experience that exposed her to the mining industry from a young age. The Pilbara, characterised by its arid landscapes and mineral-rich terrain, was central to the Hancock family's business interests and would later become the geographic foundation of Rinehart's own commercial empire.

For her secondary education, Rinehart was sent to board at St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls in Perth, one of Western Australia's established independent schools. After completing her schooling, she enrolled at the University of Sydney to pursue further studies. However, she did not complete her degree, choosing instead to leave the university and return to Western Australia to work alongside her father at Hancock Prospecting. This decision marked the beginning of her direct involvement in the family mining business, which would come to define her career and public profile for the following decades.

Education

Rinehart attended St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls in Perth as a boarder during her secondary school years. She subsequently enrolled at the University of Sydney but left before completing her degree to join her father's business, Hancock Prospecting. Her practical education in the mining industry came largely through her work with Lang Hancock, who introduced her to the operations and management of the family's mineral exploration and extraction interests in the Pilbara region.

Career

Early Years at Hancock Prospecting

After leaving the University of Sydney, Rinehart joined Hancock Prospecting and began working under the direction of her father, Lang Hancock. The company at that time was primarily a royalty-collecting entity, deriving its income from agreements related to the iron ore deposits that Lang Hancock had helped identify in the Pilbara. During this period, Rinehart gained experience in the operational and administrative aspects of the mining business.

Lang Hancock died in 1992, and Rinehart succeeded him as executive chairwoman of Hancock Prospecting. The transition marked the beginning of a new phase for the company, as Rinehart assumed full control of its strategic direction. In the years immediately following her father's death, she worked to consolidate and expand the company's position in the Australian mining sector.

Expansion During the Iron Ore Boom

The early 2000s brought a significant shift in global commodity markets, driven in large part by rapidly increasing demand for iron ore from China and other industrialising economies. This boom in iron ore prices had a transformative effect on Hancock Prospecting's fortunes and on Rinehart's personal wealth.

By 2006, the sustained rise in iron ore prices had elevated Rinehart to nominal billionaire status. Her wealth continued to grow rapidly over the following years as iron ore prices climbed. In 2007, James Packer still topped Australia's rich list, but by February 2011, Rinehart had ascended to the top of Australian rich lists, becoming the first woman to hold the number one position on the BRW Rich List.

Rinehart oversaw the development of major mining projects during this period, including the expansion of Hancock Prospecting's iron ore operations in the Pilbara. SmartCompany reported in 2011 that Rinehart was on her way to becoming the world's richest person. By early 2012, her fortune had doubled, and she was described as Asia-Pacific's richest person by Forbes. SmartCompany also noted in January 2012 that Rinehart was worth $20 billion and that the most significant phase of her business activities was just beginning.

By mid-2012, Rinehart's wealth had tripled in just one year, and she was declared the world's richest woman, overtaking Christy Walton of the United States. Her net worth was estimated at approximately A$29.17 billion, placing her at the top of BRW's Rich List. Forbes included her on its list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, and a POSCO-related transaction further solidified her status as a A$20 billion figure.

Rinehart's extraordinary wealth accumulation during this period was not without volatility. The subsequent slowdown in the Australian mining sector led to a significant decline in her net worth over the following years. By 2013, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Rinehart's wealth had dropped by more than the entire worth of the Lowy family. Despite these fluctuations, Rinehart maintained her position as one of Australia's wealthiest individuals and remained Australia's richest person from 2011 to 2015 according to both Forbes and The Australian Financial Review.

Media Investments

In the 2010s, Rinehart began to diversify her holdings beyond the mining industry, making notable investments in Australian media companies. In November 2010, she acquired a stake in Ten Network Holdings, one of Australia's major commercial television networks.

In early 2012, Rinehart conducted a share raid that made her the largest stakeholder in Fairfax Media, the publisher of major Australian newspapers including The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. The investment generated considerable public debate about the potential influence of a major mining figure on editorial coverage, particularly regarding taxation and mining policy. However, analysts noted that Rinehart's Fairfax interest would not give her control over the mining tax debate.

Rinehart's relationship with Fairfax was contentious. The company declined to offer her a board seat, despite her status as the largest shareholder. She sold her interest in Fairfax Media in 2015.

Agriculture and Diversification

In addition to her media investments, Rinehart expanded into the agricultural sector during the 2010s, acquiring several cattle stations across northern Australia. These acquisitions represented a significant diversification of Hancock Prospecting's portfolio beyond its core mining operations. However, Rinehart divested these agricultural holdings within approximately a decade.

Critical Minerals and International Investments

In more recent years, Rinehart has directed Hancock Prospecting's investment strategy toward critical minerals, including rare earth elements, lithium, and copper. Through Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart has made investments in companies including Azure Minerals, Liontown Resources, and other firms involved in the extraction of minerals considered essential to the global energy transition.

In October 2025, Bloomberg reported that Rinehart had doubled her stake in a rare earths firm. The following month, in November 2025, Rinehart became the largest shareholder in MP Materials, the United States-based rare earths producer, further cementing her position in the critical minerals sector.

In February 2026, the Australian Financial Review reported that Rinehart had purchased shares in Netflix during a period of mergers and acquisitions activity, with the report noting that United States disclosure rules provided visibility into Hancock Prospecting's US share trading activities. These investments underscored Rinehart's increasingly international investment outlook beyond her traditional Australian mining base.

Wealth Trajectory

Rinehart's wealth trajectory has been closely linked to global commodity cycles. After reaching approximately A$29 billion in 2012, her net worth declined significantly during the mining sector slowdown of the mid-2010s. Forbes estimated her net worth at US$14.8 billion in 2019. However, increased demand for Australian iron ore during 2020 rebuilt her wealth substantially. By May 2023, The Australian Financial Review Rich List estimated her net worth in excess of A$37 billion. As of September 2020, Forbes considered Rinehart one of the world's ten richest women. She was Australia's wealthiest person from 2011 to 2015 according to both Forbes and The Australian Financial Review, and again every year since 2020 according to The Australian Business Review and The Australian Financial Review.

A 2026 report noted that Australia's top five billionaires, led by Rinehart, saw their combined wealth rise 14 percent to $94 billion despite global uncertainty triggered by tariff-related trade disruptions.

Personal Life

Rinehart has four children, including John Hayward-Hancock. Her family life has been the subject of public attention, particularly in relation to legal disputes involving her children and a family trust established by Lang Hancock. These disputes, which played out in Australian courts, centred on the management and control of the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust, which held a significant portion of the family's mining interests.

Rinehart's personal wealth and business decisions have attracted broader public and media scrutiny. She has been a prominent figure in Australian public discourse on topics including taxation policy, government regulation of the mining industry, and economic development in regional Australia.

In February 2026, The Guardian reported that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson had failed to declare a flight provided by Rinehart's company Hancock Prospecting, later updating her register of interests after the matter was revealed. The report highlighted ongoing questions about transparency regarding interactions between political figures and major business interests in Australia.

Recognition

Rinehart's business achievements have been recognised through various lists and rankings of wealth and influence. In 2012, she was included on the Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, coinciding with her status as the world's richest woman at that time.

She was the first woman to top Australia's BRW Rich List, achieving this distinction in 2011. Rinehart has appeared consistently on major Australian and international wealth rankings, including the Forbes list of Australia's 50 richest people, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and The Australian Financial Review Rich List.

Forbes ranked her among the fourth richest in its list of Australia's richest people, and the Australian Financial Review noted her as Australia's wealthiest individual in multiple years. Britannica describes her as an Australian business executive and political activist who built a fortune through mining.

Legacy

Rinehart's impact on the Australian mining industry and on Australian business more broadly is significant. As executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting, she transformed what was primarily a royalty-collecting entity into a diversified mining and investment conglomerate with interests spanning iron ore, rare earths, lithium, copper, agriculture, and media.

Her role as Australia's richest person, and at one point the richest woman in the world, has made her a prominent figure in discussions about wealth, gender, and economic power in Australia. As the first woman to top the BRW Rich List, Rinehart occupies a notable position in the history of Australian business.

Rinehart's more recent strategic pivot toward critical minerals—including rare earths and lithium—reflects a broader industry trend toward securing supply chains for materials essential to the global energy transition and advanced technology manufacturing. Her investments in US-based rare earths producer MP Materials and other critical minerals firms position Hancock Prospecting at the intersection of mining, geopolitics, and the energy transition, extending the company's influence well beyond its traditional Pilbara iron ore base.

The scale of Rinehart's wealth and the private nature of Hancock Prospecting have made her one of the most scrutinised business figures in Australia, with her investments, political engagements, and family disputes regularly attracting media coverage. Whether in her management of existing iron ore assets, her diversification into new commodities and international markets, or her interactions with the Australian political landscape, Rinehart has remained a central figure in Australian economic life for more than three decades.