Malaysian businesswoman emerges top on Australia’s list of richest self-made woman

MELBOURNE - Malaysian Vicky Teoh, who has a personal fortune estimated at A$938 million (RM2.6 billion), has once again been named by BRW (Business Review Weekly) magazine as Australia’s Richest Self-Made Woman.

Vicky, 57, and her husband, David Teoh, 58, emigrated from Malaysia in 1986 and founded TPG Telecom.

According to BRW, Vicky owns a big chunk of TPG shares in her own right and is also active in the family’s investments in start-ups such as online spectacles retailer Oscar Wylee.

The notoriously private Teoh is reported to own a fortune that has almost doubled in the past year to A$2 billion (RM5.7 billion), up from A$1.06 billion (RM3.0 billion).

The BRW Rich Women list, published to celebrate International Women’s Day, highlights the 30 wealthiest self-made women in Australia.

The magazine reports that to be eligible, the women should have contributed to the creation of their wealth, and not have inherited any significant sum from the previous generation.

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart is excluded because of her inheritance from her father, Lang Hancock, despite her phenomenal success in business.

The 30 women on the list have a combined wealth of A$5.4 billion (RM15.3 billion), up from A$4.5 billion (RM12.8 billion) in 2014, and most individuals saw gains.

The next richest after Vicky Teoh is Charlotte Vidor of the Toga Hotels Group who has a fortune estimated at A$360 million (RM1.02 billion). — Bernama