Business people top football rich list

Businessmen rather than European-based players dominate the first Australian football rich list. Westfield and Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy predictably heads Australian FourFourTwo magazine’s top 50 of the nation’s richest football personalities, with an estimated wealth of $5.3 billion.

But, in a welcome sign for the code in Australia, the top 10 is made up entirely from business people.

Turkey-based Harry Kewell leads the pack of 13 current players in the top 50 but his estimated fortune of $54 million only nets him 18th spot.

Mining magnate and Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer nabbed second spot with an estimated fortune of $1.5 billion.

Father-and-son property developers Con and Ross Makris, who have connections with South Australian Super League side Adelaide Galaxy secured third and fourth position with an estimated combined fortune of $1 billion.

Healthcare baron and major Sydney FC stakeholder Paul Ramsey rounded out the top five, with an estimated $810 million.

Socceroos striker Mark Viduka came in at No. 24 with around $31 million to his name, with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer at No.30 ($15 million).

Goal-poaching midfielder Tim Cahill sits tied at No.37 with a fortune of approximately $8 million.

Melbourne businesswoman and Victoria’s Altona Magic president Millissa Fischer-Massa was the only woman to make the list in joint 28th spot, with an estimated $18 million.

Australian FourFourTwo editor Paul Hansford said the fact that women were beginning to feature amongst the world game’s most influential people showed local football was going from strength to strength.

“It’s just another sign of health for the game, that it’s not along gender lines,” Hansford told AAP.

He said the sheer number of businesspeople to feature in the list was astounding, with only $153 million of the rich list’s total $11.5 billion wealth coming from current players.

“It’s quite top-heavy with businessmen and that’s the initial surprise,” Hansford said.

“But when you actually think about it, that’s where the money’s going to come from – a lot of the guys are still playing and still earning their money.”

In spite of the difficult economic climate, it was encouraging to see businesspeople approaching Australian football as a viable financial investment, Hansford said.

“There’s the credit crunch and the current economic crisis that is affecting everyone these days but these guys are obviously in a different stratosphere with the amount of money they have.

“These guys, who are obviously intelligent businessmen, see football as a business and something that they can put their money into and make money from as well.

“It just shows that the game is in a really healthy state,” said Hansford.

FourFourTwo magazine Australian Football Rich List 2009:

1 Frank Lowy $5.3bn
2 Clive Palmer $1.5bn
3/4 Con & Ross Makris $1bn
5 Paul Ramsey $810m
6 David Traktovenko $500m
7 Kevin McCabe $455m
8 Ron Walker $375m
9= Phillip Wolanski $200m
9= John Singleton $200m
11 Con Constantine $150m
12 Geoff Lord $125m
13 Peter Ivany $92m
14 Terry Serepisos $84m
15 Nick Bianco $82m
16 Peter Sidwell $73m
17 Mario Biasin $60m
18 Harry Kewell $54m
19 Peter Turnbull $50m
20 Joe Mirabella $45m
21 Gordon Pickard $40m
22/23 Emmanuel Drivas & Emmanuel Kokoris $37m
24 Mark Viduka $31m
25 Andrew Kemeny $30m
26 Brett McKeon $29m
27 Les Owen $26m
28= John Spence $18m
28= Millissa Fischer-Massa $18m
30 Mark Schwarzer $15m
31 Tony Sage $14m
32 Anthony LaPaglia $13m
33= Don Matheson $12m
33= Craig Moore $12m
35 Michael Crismale $10m
36 Lucas Neill $9m
37= Jim Curtis $8m
37= Tim Cahill $8m
39 John Borghetti $7m
40 Brett Emerton $6m
41= Bernie Mandic $5m
41= Josip Skoko $5m
43 Mark Bresciano $4m
44= Serge and Claude Baradel $3m
44= Vince Grella $3m
47= Scott McDonald $2m
47= Scott Chipperfield $2m
47= Lui Giuliani $2m
50 Zeljko Kalac $1.5m