The top 10 richest young Australians have been revealed, with tech tycoons and entrepreneurs topping the list.
The Australian Financial Review shared the best of its List of rich young people by 2024 on Thursday.
Among them was a cryptocurrency magnate with a net worth of more than $4 billion and the founder of a popular Mexican takeout chain that rivals Guzmán y Gómez.
Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht: $14 billion
The young founders of Canva, a graphic design platform launched in 2013, top the Financial Review’s Young Rich List for the fifth year in a row.
The couple saw an additional $1 billion added to their net worth this year thanks to the company’s continued growth.
Both Perkins, 37, and Obrecht, 38, signed Bill Gates’ The Giving Pledge and pledged to donate the majority of their wealth to charity, either throughout their lives or in their wills.
Canva’s young founders Melanie Perkins (pictured) and Cliff Obrecht top the Financial Review’s Young Rich List for the fifth year in a row.
Coming in second place was cryptocurrency tycoon Ed Craven, who made headlines earlier this year after promising to build the country’s most expensive house in Toorak (pictured, the original house on the property).
Ed Craven: $4.7 billion
Following Canva’s co-founders was 28-year-old cryptocurrency gaming mogul Ed Craven.
While Craven is best known for co-founding Stake.com, which is inaccessible to Australians due to a licence, he is also involved in Primedice.com, a bitcoin betting site, and Kick, a streaming platform.
The young billionaire made headlines earlier this year after promising to build the country’s most expensive home in Toorak, Melbourne, worth $145 million.
Sam Prince: $1.8 billion
Sam Prince is the doctor behind the creation of the popular Mexican food chain Zambrero.
He began studying at the Australian National University when he was just 16 years old and graduated with a degree in Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery at Monash University in Melbourne.
Dr Prince also founded Next Practice, One Disease, Sam Prince Hospitality Group, Shine+ and Zapid Hire and was awarded the ACT Australian of the Year award in 2018 in recognition of his charitable work, funded largely through Zambrero.
James Ferguson and Robbie Ferguson: $1.7 billion
Billionaire brothers James, 32, and Robbie Ferguson, 25, have increased their wealth by an incredible 50 percent in the last year, in line with the valuation of their crypto gaming company, Immutable.
The platform helps create games securely for decentralized internet users, using Web3 and trading Ethereum.
Jack Zhang: $1.3 billion
Chinese-born Melbourne tech tycoon Jack Zhang has made the list of young billionaires with a “unicorn” company, Airwallex.
The financial platform allows businesses to easily make global payments and streamline banking operations.
However, the billionaire’s net worth has decreased by 7.6 percent compared to 2023 and Airwallex’s revenue growth has slowed.
Adrian Portelli (pictured) appears on the AFR’s annual Young Rich List for the second time in 2024
Adrián Portelli – $1.29 BILLION
Adrian Portelli, who will be a familiar face to any The Block fan after spending $16.65 million on four Block homes, has appeared on AFR’s list for the second time.
The 35-year-old dad from the Gold Coast is known for sharing his flashy lifestyle that has seen him nicknamed ‘Lambo Guy’ and hosting luxury giveaways at his membership-based business, LMCT+.
He is also a real estate investor and co-founder of beverage brands Flipside Energy and Lets Gee Up.
Robert Chamberlain – $1.2 billion
Chamberlain has spent more than 21 years working in the travel industry and created Huno Group, a collection of travel websites, in 2003 to help travelers take control of their vacations.
Last year, the company made more than $186 million in revenue, up 25 percent from the previous year, and $70.8 million in net profit.
Nick Molnar: $1.1 billion
Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar was the latest billionaire included in the annual list.
Molnar was recently promoted from Afterpay, which allows customers to pay for purchases in installments rather than up front, to head of sales at Block, Afterpay’s parent company.
It was reported in August that Molnar would report directly to Block CEO and former Twitter boss Jack Dorsey, three years after the company bought the buy now, pay later service.
Sam Prince, the doctor behind the creation of one of Australia’s favorite Mexican chains, Zambrero, came third on the list.
Jacob Dai – $898MILLION – and Max Li: $716 million
The last two spots on the top 10 list were taken by Mr. Dai and Mr. Li, the aforementioned co-founders of Mr. Zhang’s Airwallex.
Dai holds the position of chief technology officer within the company, while Li is the head of design.