Estimating wealth is a tricky business.

Delving into the affairs of those who have money is a challenging journey with lots of obstacles and plenty of dead ends. Some object to this project due to privacy or commercial reasons, while others are disinclined to appear boastful. More than a few resent the attention that comes with being on the radar of others: from needy causes to the tax office. At an individual level, that may be understandable. However, the interest from the broader business community we seek to serve provides a different perspective.

Our readers acknowledge the importance of wealth to the resilience and sustainability of our community. They see this list – the Rich 100, worth a combined $160 billion – as less of a league table and more of measure of success for the whole community. Looking through the list, there is a sense of reassurance that wealth can be made, grown and protected in Western Australia. For those with ambition, this list proves it can be done and offers tips for the aspirational among the next generation of business leaders.

The people on this list are not oligarchs who owe their riches to a ruthless dictator; they are not landed gentry who can trace hereditary fortunes back through the years; they are not a tightly linked collection of families that have divided the spoils like some modern version of feudalism.  Most of them are regular people who did not start life rich or were not noticeably so. There are 100 different stories here, the vast majority of them within one or two generations of when a successful enterprise started.

Distilling such stories down to a number may be fraught, but even our estimates, with all their subjectivity, help to frame those narratives.  We don’t pretend we have the full picture in every case, or that we have every single one of the 100 richest people or families in WA. But we are proud of the work put into this publication and believe it serves as a more accurate guide than any other as to the composition of wealth in this state. Why does that matter?

Firstly, we believe the Rich 100 is a tool for understanding our economy. Where people make wealth and how they manage it is critical knowledge for many decision makers. Also, for those looking for capital, family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals are a source of funds. Understanding what makes those people tick ought to help match lenders with borrowers, or investors with founders. We certainly hope it helps. Similarly, those on this list are among our most generous benefactors. Many are prepared to use their money, and skills that took them to the top, to help others in the community. They are sharing their good fortune, so to speak, and they ought be acknowledged for creating a more self-reliant society.

Finally, these people live here and we should celebrate that. This list provides a growing sense of comfort that those who have generated major wealth in this state are reinvesting here.  And why wouldn’t they? This land made them rich and, most likely, it will make all of us richer together as a result. 

Rich 100 2025 is out now.