Bruce Gordon (businessman)

Bruce Gordon
Born (1929-02-04) 4 February 1929 (age 95)
Surry Hills, New South Wales
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Businessman; media owner; investor
Known forOwner of WIN Group
SpouseJudith Gordon

Bruce Gordon (born 4 February 1929 in Surry Hills, New South Wales[1]) is an Australian businessman. He is the owner of the Australian television network, WIN Television through his ownership of WIN Corporation, the largest shareholder of Network 10 & the largest shareholder of the Nine Network,[2] and holds a significant stake in Nine Entertainment Co.[3]

Career

From humble beginning, Gordon juggled fruit to lure customers into his father's street-side fruit stall. He continued to hone his magic skills into his 20s and gained his first performance at Sydney's Tivoli circuit theatre; later progressing onto management of the theatre. During this period he got to know Rupert Murdoch, Sir Frank Packer and his sons, Kerry and Clyde, and Bruce Gyngell.[1]

In 1962, Gordon was appointed the Australasian sales executive for Desilu Productions, which was sold to Gulf and Western, which renamed the studio Paramount Television.[1] Gordon worked as a programming executive for Paramount in Hollywood for thirty years.[3]

Gordon gained control of Television Wollongong Transmission Ltd (later rebadged as WIN TV) in 1979 from Murdoch.[4] He then expanded WIN Television's operations during the 1990s, buying out the other shareholders in 1991 after buying two licences in Queensland and Crawford Productions.[1] By the end of the decade WIN had licences and transmitters in all Australian states and mainland territories (except NT).[4]

Gordon holds a 50% share in the NRL St. George Illawarra Dragons club through WIN Corporation.[3]

In September 2014, it was reported that in early August 2024, Gordon retired from the boards of WIN Corporation and private investment firm Birketu as well as 41 private companies associated with businesses owned by him. He will remain Birketu's "ultimate decision maker", while stepping back from daily management at WIN.[5]

Personal life

Gordon lives in Bermuda with his second wife, Judith, with additional residences in Sydney and Monaco.[1] Gordon has a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Genevieve.[6]

Net worth

As of May 2023, the Australian Financial Review assessed Gordon's net worth at A$1.30 billion.[7] Gordon is one of eleven living Australians who have appeared on every Rich List, since it was first published in 1984.[8][9]

Year Financial Review
Rich List 		Forbes
Australia's 50 richest
Rank Net worth A$ Rank Net worth US$
2014[4][10] 34 $1.096 billion 40 Increase $0.700 billion Increase
2015[11][12] 46 Decrease $1.060 billion Decrease 41 Decrease $0.720 billion Increase
2016[11][13] 54 Decrease $0.990 billion Decrease 46 Decrease $0.570 billion Decrease
2017[3] 107 Decrease $0.629 billion Decrease n/a not listed
2018[14] 113 Decrease $0.702 billion Increase
2019[15][16] 134 Decrease $0.728 billion Increase
2020[17] 111 Increase $0.892 billion Increase
2021[8] 123 Decrease $0.870 billion Decrease
2022 110 Increase $1.30 billion Increase
2023[7] 133 Decrease $1.07 billion Decrease
Legend
Icon Description
Steady Has not changed from the previous year
Increase Has increased from the previous year
Decrease Has decreased from the previous year

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Chessell, James; Totaro, Paolo (7 March 2015). "How Bruce Gordon, the man from WIN, helped catch Silvio Berlusconi". Financial Review. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  2. ^ Windsor, Georgina (11 February 2010). "WIN Corp owner Bruce Gordon sues Nine over live-streaming of TV channels". The Australian. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Stensholt, John, ed. (25 May 2017). "Financial Review Rich List 2017". Financial Review. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "BRW Rich 200 list 2014: 34. Bruce Gordon". BRW. Sydney. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  5. ^ Buckingham-Jones, Sam (29 September 2024). "Billionaire Bruce Gordon retires from WIN as succession questions loom". Media & marketing. Australian Financial Review. Sydney: Nine Publishing. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  6. ^ Chessell, James (5 August 2010). "Gordon's girl in the running for WIN television crown". news.com.au.
  7. ^ a b Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (26 May 2023). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (27 May 2021). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  9. ^ Thomson, James (22 May 2013). "Celebrating 30 years of the Rich 200". BRW Rich 200. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  10. ^ "2014 Australia's 50 Richest". Forbes Asia. January 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  11. ^ a b "BRW rich list topped by Harry Triguboff, Gina Rinehart slips to fourth". ABC News. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  12. ^ "2015 Australia's 50 Richest". Forbes Asia. March 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  13. ^ "2016 Australia's 50 Richest". Forbes Asia. January 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  14. ^ Stensholt, John (25 May 2018). "2018 AFR Rich List: Who are Australia's richest people?". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  15. ^ Bailey, Michael (30 May 2019). "Australia's 200 richest people revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Bruce Gordon ranked 134 on Australian Financial Review's Rich List". Illawarra Mercury. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  17. ^ Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (30 October 2020). "The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 October 2020.