S
Slide
Guest
The reluctant billionaire is on her way to dominating the globe with her resources projects, according to new research by financial corporation Citigroup.
Ms Rinehart, an iron ore magnate in Western Australia, made history last month when she became the first woman to top the BRW rich list after her fortune doubled to $10.3 billion over the past year.
But, as first revealed by Perth Now, new analysis by Citigroup suggests the 57-year-old could one day become the world’s richest person as the head of Hancock Prospecting.
The report on worldwide resources projects - dubbed Generation Next - evaluated 400 mining projects around the world that are not currently in production but are moving through the design/approval stages.
BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata and Anglo American top the list, with Hancock Prospecting, which Ms Rinehart inherited from her late father Lang, sits fifth.
According to business website SmartCompany, Ms Rinehart's projects will catapult her to the top of the list because she owns all of hers, whereas other companies share their wealth with shareholders.
She has three projects in the top 10, the same number as Rio Tinto. BHP Billiton has none.
The projects are:
* Roy Hill iron ore in WA, which is scheduled to start production in 2014, building to a rate of 55 million tonnes a year, and valued at 688,888 tonnes of copper equivalent.
* Alpha Coal in Queensland, also scheduled to start in 2014 at a rate of 30 million tonnes of coal and year – rated as 563,000 tonnes of copper, and
* Kevin’s Corner coal in Queensland, scheduled to start in 2013 also at a rate of 30 million tonnes of coal – and also rated as 563,000 tonnes of copper.
Website SmartCompany says these three projects are expected to attract joint venture partners in the same way Ms Rinehart partnered Rio Tinto on her first iron ore project in WA, Hope Downs, which continues to generate the bulk of Hancock Prospecting's cash flow.