The Australian Financial Review’s annual top 200 Rich List released on Friday carries plenty of names that will be familiar to Speedcafe readers.
Unsurprisingly, none made their fortune from motorsport, but many have been involved in various ways including as drivers, team or track owners, and sponsors.
Four of the top rich listers have notable links to Formula 1.
Scott Farquhar (ranked fourth with $21.42 billion) and Mike Cannon-Brookes (13th, $12.18b) co-founded software company Atlassian that in 2025 became title sponsor of Williams.
Sauber F1’s biggest backers – online bet processing company Stake and game streaming platform Kick – were co-founded by another Aussie, Ed Craven (32nd, $4.82b).
Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest (11th, $12.68b) is also worthy of mention, given Fortescue Metals purchased F1 offshoot Williams Advanced Engineering in 2022 for its battery technology.
But what about local motorsport?
There’s plenty with involvement there too. Just don’t expect too many industry stalwarts; the net worth required to make the top 200 in 2025 was $747 million!
Lindsay Fox
Rank: 26, Wealth: $5.73b
Fox’s Linfox empire has since 2004 included ownership of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, which counts the Australian MotoGP round as its marquee event each year.
The trucking magnate’s publicly accessible car collection in Melbourne’s Docklands also includes one of the famous Winfield Nissan GT-Rs run by Gibson Motorsport during 1992.
Laurence Escalante
Rank: 35, Wealth: $4.50b
Perth-based Escalante’s highly lucrative online gambling company Virtual Gaming Worlds is a sponsor of the Ferrari F1 team, which carries VGW branding on its cars and driver apparel.
His Lance East Exotics offshoot is also the money behind the Arise Racing Ferrari squad in GT World Challenge Australia, winning last year’s title with Chaz Mostert and Liam Talbot.
Betty Klimenko, Monica Saunders-Weinberg & family
Rank: 49, Wealth: $3.10b
Erebus Motorsport founder Klimenko’s motorsport credentials need little explanation here, with two Bathurst 1000 wins and a Supercars Championship to her team’s credit.
Klimenko and Monica Saunders-Weinberg, the daughters of Westfield co-founder John Saunders, are vice-chairs of real estate and investment empire the Terrace Tower Group.
Tony Perich & family
Rank: 54, Wealth: $2.86b
The Perich family fortune was made in agriculture and property, which these days includes the Oran Park Town development built on the land of the former Sydney race circuit.
Perich purchased the iconic track in 1983 and ran it until closure in 2010. His mooted plans to replace it with another circuit have never eventuated.
Paul Little
Rank: 70, Wealth $2.34b
The former long-time boss of Toll Holdings has held many motorsport roles, most recently including that of chairman at the Australian Grand Prix Corporation from 2019-22.
During his time at Toll he was a Porsche Cup driver and Supercars team owner and sponsor, famously backing the HSV Dealer Team and Holden Racing Team from 2006-13.
Khalil Shahin & family
Rank: 95, Wealth: $1.74b
Brothers Khalil, Sam and Yasser Shahin run the Peregrine Corporation with assets in property, retail and motorsport, including The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.
Selling their OTR petrol station empire to Viva Energy for $1.2b in 2023, Sam and Yasser remain keen racers, with the latter currently competing in the World Endurance Championship.
Craig, Lauren, Ryan Sutton & family
Rank: 102, Wealth: $1.70b
Once among Australia’s most famous Holden dealers, the diverse Sutton Motors empire – which counts GMSV and Ford among its many brands – is currently being run by its third generation.
Craig Sutton has been a semi-regular face in Triple Eight’s garage for many years and the company is listed among the team’s major suppliers.
Justin & Bettina Hemmes & family
Rank: 113, Wealth $1.58b
Justin Hemmes and sister Bettina run the Merivale hospitality empire that was founded by their parents, John and Merivale, and boasts more than 80 venues along the east coast.
A high-profile member of the Sydney social scene, Justin won the 2004 GT Performance Car Championship aboard a Subaru WRX during a brief spell in the sport.
Adrian Portelli
Rank: 122, Wealth $1.41b
Famous for appearances on hit TV show The Block, Portelli is the man behind membership-based online club LMCT+ and has promoted the brand through Garry Rogers Motorsport.
That association has included sponsoring James Moffat in TCR and Trans Am, as well as taking ownership of an S5000 racecar and new-build Bathurst 24 Hour-spec Holden Monaro.
Neville Crichton
Rank: 145, Wealth $1.14b
Crichton’s Ateco Group, which has interests in the automotive, industrial and property sectors, currently holds Australian import rights for Maserati, RAM, LDV, Renault and Alpine.
The Kiwi-born Crichton’s racing exploits included five Bathurst 1000 starts in the 1980s, driving for JPS Team BMW, the Volvo Dealer Team, Dick Johnson Racing and Benson & Hedges Racing.
Denis Wagner & family
Rank: 154, Wealth: $1.07b
This Toowoomba-based family made its fortune in construction materials and infrastructure and is best known for building Wellcamp Airport, which was used for Supercars’ Gen3 aero testing.
The Wagners a decade ago declared intentions to build an FIA Grade 2 motor racing circuit alongside the airport: a plan that appears on hold indefinitely awaiting funding.
Tony Walls
Rank: 165, Wealth: $983m
Walls founded – and retains a 65 percent stake in – software company Objective Corporation, which enjoyed immense growth amid a shift to remote work during the pandemic.
Objective colours have adorned a series of racing cars driven by Walls and son Jackson, who is this year competing in the Super2 Series with Triple Eight.
Margaret Dymond & family
Rank: 191, Wealth: $785m
New to the AFR 200 list this year, the Dymond family is the name behind Penrite Oils; an Australian company run by Toby Dymond and owned by his mother Margaret.
Penrite has a long history of sponsoring Australian motorsport at all levels, including Supercars, and has its own classic racing team and car museum.
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