Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart has change into a formidable power within the world mining trade.
After taking the helm of her father’s iron ore agency Hancock Prospecting in 1993, she embarked upon a diversification technique that has vastly expanded her useful resource empire. Now Australia’s richest particular person, Rinehart has investments in lots of the world’s most strategic commodities similar to lithium, uncommon earths, copper, potash and pure fuel.
A kind of investments is Arafura Uncommon Earths (ASX:ARU,OTC Pink:ARAFF), which even in a low worth setting for uncommon earths managed to safe practically AU$1.5 billion in debt financing in mid-2024 to advance its Nolans undertaking within the Northern Territory. With a ten p.c fairness stake, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting is Arafura’s largest shareholder.
Along with Arafura, entrepreneur Rinehart’s funding portfolio accommodates different ex-China, green-transition-focused corporations like Australian lithium agency Liontown Assets (ASX:LTR,OTC Pink:LINRF), in addition to uncommon earths producers MP Supplies (NYSE:MP) and Lynas Uncommon Earths (ASX:LYC,OTC Pink:LYSCF). Rinehart’s position within the acquisition of Azure Minerals’ Andover lithium undertaking in Western Australia alongside lithium large SQM (NYSE:SQM) additionally made headlines.
Who’s Gina Rinehart?
Gina Rinehart is an Australian iron ore magnate and the manager chair of Hancock Prospecting, in addition to the richest particular person in Australia and one of many world’s richest ladies. Rinehart is the daughter of Australian mining mogul and Hancock Prospecting founder, the late Lang Hancock. As the present govt chair of Hancock Prospecting, Rinehart received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from CEO Journal in 2019.
Rinehart was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2022 for her “distinguished service to the mining sector, to the group by way of philanthropic initiatives, and to sport as a patron.”
How did Gina Rinehart get wealthy?
Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting acquired the Roy Hill tenements in 1993. Centering the large undertaking because the cornerstone of the corporate, Hancock Prospecting has tremendously benefited from the iron ore market growth that started within the early 2000s.
At the moment, Roy Hill is Australia’s largest iron ore mine, producing 60 million to 70 million tonnes of iron ore per 12 months. Success at Roy Hill has made Hancock Prospecting Australia’s most respected non-public firm at an estimated AU$15.6 billion.
As with lots of the world’s most profitable billionaires, Gina Rinehart has developed an funding technique based mostly on strategic partnerships in addition to diversification to mitigate threat and construct worth. Underneath her management, Hancock Prospecting Pty Restricted (HPPL) in addition to the HPPL Group of corporations has expanded into a number of the world’s most economically necessary markets, similar to actual property, agriculture, vitality and demanding metals.
For the 2024 fiscal 12 months, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting reported a bumper revenue of AU$5.6 billion, up 10 p.c from the earlier 12 months.
What mining corporations does Gina Rinehart personal?
Via her firm Hancock Prospecting, Gina Rinehart owns curiosity in mining corporations throughout many sectors, together with iron ore, lithium, uncommon earths, copper, oil and fuel, in addition to potash.
Whereas a lot of her funding portfolio is targeted on Australia and ASX corporations, Rinehart is actively strengthening the geographical diversification of her investments.
In recent times, Rinehart has made a sequence of key investments in mining corporations, particularly concentrating on essential metals tasks in Germany, Brazil, Ecuador and the USA. These embrace exploration-stage companies similar to Titan Minerals (ASX:TTM) and Azure Minerals in addition to producers similar to Atlas Iron and MP Supplies.
The place does Hancock Prospecting mine iron?
Autos hauling ore at Roy Hill iron ore mine.
Picture of Roy Hill iron ore mine through Roy Hill.
Hancock Prospecting’s Roy Hill and Hope Downs iron ore mines are in Western Australia’s resource-rich Pilbara area.
Roy Hill has attracted strategic partnerships with main world enterprises: Marubeni (TSE:8002) has a 15 p.c fairness stake, POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX,KRX:005490) has a 12.5 p.c stake and China Metal (TPE:2002) has a 2.5 p.c stake. The minority companions buy a mixed 28.75 million tonnes of iron ore yearly from Roy Hill’s manufacturing.
In September 2024, Hancock Prospecting obtained the inexperienced gentle for its AU$600 million McPhee iron mine situated about 100 kilometres north of the Roy Hill mine after a protracted approval course of.
The McPhee iron mine is anticipated to supply round 10 million tonnes of the steel annually over an estimated 15 12 months mine life. First manufacturing is anticipated to kick off subsequent 12 months, and ore will probably be transported by street trains to Roy Hill for processing and mixing. The objective is to enhance the bigger mine’s product combine and maintain its manufacturing volumes.
The Hope Downs iron ore complicated is one other of Australia’s largest iron ore tasks. A 50/50 three way partnership partnership with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), Hope Downs hosts 4 open-pit mines and has an annual manufacturing capability of 47 million tonnes. Hope Downs has additionally been the topic of a greater than decade-long civil dispute in a Western Australian court docket over royalties, put forth by the descendants of Lang Hancock’s enterprise companion Peter Wright in addition to Rinehart’s personal youngsters.
In June 2025, the companions introduced a mixed funding of US$1.6 billion to develop the Hope Downs 2 iron ore undertaking, part of the principle JV. The undertaking hosts the Hope Downs 2 and Bedded Hilltop deposits, which collectively may have a complete annual manufacturing capability of 31 million tonnes.
Gina Rinehart’s iron ore investments
Gina Rinehart’s iron ore investments in Western Australia lengthen past Roy Hill and Hill Downs to Atlas Iron’s three producing mines and a pipeline of growth tasks.
Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting acquired Atlas Iron in 2018 by way of a AU$427 million deal that turned out to be filth low-cost as the corporate would go on to ship AU$1.5 billion in revenues over the following three years alone.
At the moment, Atlas Mines operates the Mount Webber, Sanjiv Ridge and Miralga Creek mines. Manufacturing from these mines in its fiscal 12 months ended June 2023 led to a AU$222 million dividend fee for Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting.
As of July 1, 2025, Hancock Prospecting has consolidated its Roy Hill and Atlas Iron underneath the brand new identify Hancock Iron Ore. The brand new entity represents mixed iron ore exports of about 74 million tonnes per 12 months.
Moreover, Hancock has an earn-in settlement on Legacy Iron Ore (ASX:LCY) and Hawthorn Assets’ (ASX:HAW) Mount Bevan undertaking by way of its subsidiary Hancock Magnetite Holdings.
At Mount Bevan, as a part of its earn-in settlement, Hancock accomplished a prefeasibility examine (PFS) for a 12 million tonne per 12 months high-grade magnetite undertaking in July 2024. The PFS incorporates a useful resource estimate totalling 1,291 million tonnes, which was accomplished by Atlas, and delineates a capital value of AU$5 billion to develop Mount Bevan.
Completion of the PFS elevated Hancock’s stake within the three way partnership from 30 p.c to 51 p.c, with Legacy now holding 29.4 p.c and Hawthorn holding 19.6 p.c.
Like iron, coal is one other important materials in metal manufacturing. To this finish, Rinehart can also be pursuing an funding in a past-producing metallurgical coal mine in Alberta, Canada. Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Northback Holdings is the proprietor of the proposed Grassy Mountain steelmaking coal undertaking within the province’s Crowsnest Go area.
Exploration licences for the Northback undertaking have been greenlit by Alberta regulators in Could 2025.
Gina Rinehart’s lithium investments
Gina Rinehart’s lithium investments embrace Azure Minerals’ (ASX:AZS) Andover lithium undertaking, Liontown Assets, Delta Lithium (ASX:DLI) and Vulcan Vitality Assets (ASX:VUL).
Nearly all of her lithium investments got here in a flurry in 2023 and 2024.
In June 2023, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting signed a separate three way partnership earn-in settlement for the Mount Bevan magnetite undertaking mentioned above, this time for the lithium, nickel and copper mineralization on the undertaking. The settlement will equally see Hancock in a position to earn a 51 p.c curiosity by finishing sure milestones.
In September 2023, Rinehart made headlines when she took a place in Liontown Assets after which quickly elevated the place to 19.9 p.c over the next month. This allowed Hancock, which was now Liontown’s largest shareholder, to successfully block Albemarle’s (NYSE:ALB) accepted takeover of the smaller lithium firm.
Nonetheless, Liontown took a success because the economics for its near-production Kathleen Valley lithium undertaking in Western Australia have been affected by excessive inflation and low lithium costs. In January 2024, Albemarle determined to dump its 4 p.c stake in Liontown. The shortage of any additional strikes or remark by Rinehart in relation to Liontown Assets has led to hypothesis she could also be ready for the correct alternative to purchase up the lithium firm at a reduction.
Kathleen Valley entered open-pit manufacturing in late July 2024, and is anticipated to supply roughly 500,000 tonnes per 12 months of spodumene focus per 12 months. In April of this 12 months, the operation turned Australia’s first underground lithium mine when it commenced manufacturing from its Mount Mann deposit. Liontown plans to completely transition manufacturing to the underground mine in its fiscal 2026.
Albemarle’s Liontown acquistion wasn’t the one lithium bid Rinehart blocked in October 2023. As is her technique, Rinehart scooped up an 18.9 p.c stake in Azure Minerals after SQM introduced its intention for a complete takeover of the corporate and its Andover lithium undertaking within the West Pilbara area of Western Australia.
This story had a unique ending, although, as Hancock Prospecting as an alternative joined the lithium large in a AU$1.7 billion deal to change into a co-owner of the exploration-stage Andover undertaking. The deal closed in Could 2024.
Shortly after its Liontown and Azure strikes, Hancock Prospecting continued investing in Western Australia’s lithium prospects when it participated in a AU$70.2 million fundraising for Delta Lithium in November 2023. The proceeds will assist Delta Lithium to fund the event of its Mount Ida lithium-gold undertaking, which is adjoining to Hancock’s Mount Bevan three way partnership undertaking. As of November 2024, Hancock Prospecting owns 10.65 p.c of Delta Lithium.
Rinehart has made lithium investments exterior of Australia as effectively. Wanting additional afield to Germany, with a 7.5 p.c stake, Hancock Prospecting is the second largest shareholder in Vulcan Vitality and its flagship Zero Carbon lithium undertaking in Germany’s Higher Rhine Valley, a milestone Rinehart’s firm reached after investing an extra AU$20 million in Vulcan, which made headlines in June 2024. The Zero Carbon undertaking is slated to supply an preliminary 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide by the top of 2025, concentrating on Europe’s electrical car manufacturing sector.
In November 2024, Vulcan Vitality reached one other main milestone with first manufacturing at its downstream lithium hydroxide optimisation plant, which is designed to supply lithium hydroxide and battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate.
In Could 2025, Vulcan commenced drilling on its first new geothermal energy-lithium effectively in Landau, Germany, as a part of its Section 1 Lionheart undertaking. The positioning at present holds 4 manufacturing and re-injection wells and the corporate goals so as to add 24 extra that can produce sizzling lithium brine. Vulcan plans to make use of the brand new manufacturing to extend its geothermal vitality manufacturing and start business lithium manufacturing. In July, Vulcan acquired US$122 million from the German authorities to advance its undertaking.
Gina Rinehart’s uncommon earth metals investments
Services at MP Supplies’ Mountain Go uncommon earths mine.
clayton harrison / Shutterstock
Via Hancock Prospecting, Gina Rinehart has made investments in a number of the world’s most well-known uncommon earth mineral producing corporations — US-based MP Supplies and Australia’s Lynas Uncommon Earths — in addition to development-stage Arafura Uncommon Earths and exploration-stage Brazilian Uncommon Earths (ASX:BRE). Rinehart taking a place in these uncommon earths corporations exhibits she is seeking to capitalise on the numerous want for these essential metals exterior of China.
As talked about within the introduction to this text, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting is the biggest shareholder of Arafura Uncommon Earths, giving it a ten p.c stake within the advanced-stage, development prepared Nolans undertaking within the Northern Territory, Australia. Rinehart made the funding in December 2022. As of August 20, 2025, Arafura is conducting an AU$80 million tranche 1 financing underway, reporting help from Hancock Prospecting of a at present undisclosed quantity.
In April 2024, Rinehart made two vital strikes into the sector. The primary got here on April 9, when it was revealed that Hancock Prospecting had acquired a 5.3 p.c stake in MP Supplies, the second largest uncommon earths producer exterior of China. The corporate’s California-based Mountain Go mine is the one built-in uncommon earth mining and processing operation in North America.
Rinehart’s funding in MP Supplies may later herald “Roy Hill-type money circulation,” Dylan Kelly, head analyst at Terra Capital, informed Australian Monetary Evaluation. “Something that’s producing and never China-aligned is extremely strategic. These supplies are very, very laborious to make and there’s numerous demand in making magnets for electrical automobiles and wind generators.”
One week later, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting took up a 5.82 p.c curiosity in Lynas Uncommon Earths, the biggest ex-China uncommon earths producer. The Australian uncommon earth miner produces the essential metals at its Mount Weld mine in Western Australia and ships the uncooked materials to Malaysia for processing. Lynas can also be ramping up processing at its Kalgoorlie uncommon earth facility in Australia, and constructing gentle uncommon earths processing amenities and a heavy uncommon earths separation facility in Texas, US.
Rinehart’s close to simultaneous investments in Lynas and MP Supplies got here after merger talks between the 2 uncommon earths behemoths stalled in February 2024. In November 2024, the mining mogul elevated her place in MP Supplies to eight.5 p.c. As for Lynas, she raised her stake to 7.14 p.c in July 2024 after which 8.21 p.c in January 2025.
In July 2025, the US Division of Protection introduced it was taking a stake in MP Supplies value US$400 million in most well-liked inventory and assured a ground worth of US$110 per kilogram for neodymium and praseodymium from MP Supplies, representing practically double that of China’s charges because the Trump administration seeks to construct the nation’s home uncommon earth trade.
The information of the DoD’s funding considerably elevated each MP Supplies’ and Lynas’ share costs, with Forbes reporting that the worth of Rinehart’s holdings within the two corporations elevated by about US$200 million and US$100 million respectively.
There was beforehand hypothesis stirring that Rinehart’s participation in MP and Lynas may renew merger discussions, Reuters reported, and Rinehart’s elevated positions additional raised the opportunity of a merger down the street. Nonetheless, the US Authorities’s main shareholder place in MP Supplies makes such an acquisition a protracted shot.
Rinehart can also be getting her foot within the uncommon earths door on the exploration degree. In 2023, Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting made a pre-IPO funding for a 5.85 p.c share in Brazilian Uncommon Earths, which went on to record on the ASX in December of that 12 months. The uncommon earth explorer is working its district-scale Rocha da Rocha uncommon earth asset within the state of Bahia, Brazil. The province is extremely potential for each heavy and lightweight uncommon earths, with grades of over 40 p.c whole uncommon earth oxides discovered. Brazilian Uncommon Earths is working to finish an up to date JORC mineral useful resource estimate.
Gina Rinehart’s copper investments
Gina Rinehart’s copper investments are centered on Ecuador’s Andean copper-gold belt, and embrace explorer Titan Minerals and Ecuador’s state-owned Empresa Nacional Minera (ENAMI).
Ecuador has seen a rush of main mining corporations taking over positions in key copper and gold tasks in recent times, inserting Hancock Prospecting within the firm of Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B), Zijin Mining (HKEX:2899) and Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF).
Rinehart’s Ecuadorian copper investments are in step with her shift towards the essential metals crucial for the inexperienced transition and her technique to broaden the worldwide footprint of her mining empire.
Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining has been within the area since 2017, and has continued to make extra investments. In March 2024, Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining acquired a 49 p.c stake in six mining concessions for AU$186.4 million. The deal sees it companion with state mining firm ENAMI for the concessions, which encompass the stalled Llurimagua copper-molybdenum undertaking in Northern Ecuador.
In late April 2024, Ecuador’s constitutional court docket nixed appeals by ENAMI and its companion within the Llurimagua undertaking, Chile’s state-owned CODELCO, to evaluation the March 2023 determination by Imbabura’s provincial supreme court docket suspending the environmental licence for Llurimagua.
Shortly after the funding with ENAMI, Rinehart’s Hanrine made one other play in Ecuador by placing an earn-in settlement with Titan Minerals for as much as an 80 p.c possession stake within the explorer’s Linderos copper-gold undertaking contingent on as much as AU$120 million in exploration spending. Linderos is an early-exploration stage undertaking with the potential to host a large-scale copper porphyry system. Hanrine has made an preliminary funding of AU$2 million for a 5 p.c stake.
Gina Rinehart’s oil and fuel investments
Gina Rinehart’s oil and fuel investments embrace non-public companies Warrego Vitality in Western Australia and Senex Vitality in Queensland.
In February 2023, Hancock Prospecting received a protracted bidding battle for the then-public Warrego with Warrego’s three way partnership companion Strike Vitality (ASX:STX) at a worth of AU$0.36 per share. Warrego and operator Strike Vitality preserve their 50/50 three way partnership on the West Erregulla onshore fuel area inside exploration allow EP 469 close to Perth in Western Australia.
In mid-August 2024, the West Erregulla undertaking acquired its manufacturing licence. Throughout Section 1, the undertaking is anticipated to supply 87 terajoules per day.
As for Senex Vitality, it’s a three way partnership between POSCO (50.1 p.c) and Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Hancock Vitality (49.9 p.c) that holds the Atlas and Roma North pure fuel developments in Queensland’s Surat Basin. The 2 JV companions acquired Senex in 2022, with Rinehart’s firm placing up AU$440.89 million.
Senex Vitality has launched into a AU$1 billion growth endeavor at Atlas and Roma North that can see 60 petajoules of pure fuel delivered to Australia’s east coast market yearly by the top of 2025. This determine represents greater than 10 p.c of the area’s demand. Regulatory approval for the growth was lastly acquired following an uphill battle with a Federal authorities extra occupied with renewable vitality tasks than the pure fuel selection. Hancock Prospecting reported the primary flows of fuel manufacturing from the growth area in late November 2024.
Rinehart as soon as had a big stake of practically 20 p.c in Lakes Oil, now Lakes Blue Vitality (ASX:LKO), by way of subsidiary Timeview Enterprises. Timeview’s stake in Lakes Blue Vitality has been lowered in recent times, however it stays the corporate’s fourth largest shareholder at 4.075 p.c.
In late October 2024, Rinehart supplied monetary help to Mineral Assets (ASX:MIN,OTC Pink:MALRF), a diversified mining firm with lithium, iron ore and oil and fuel operations in Western Australia. Headed by one other mining heavyweight, Chris Ellison, Mineral Assets (MinRes) is reportedly drowning in debt and embroiled in a tax evasion investigation. At the moment, Hancock Prospecting agreed to a AU$1.13 billion buyout of MinRes’ oil and fuel tasks within the Perth Basin and an exploration acreage within the Carnarvon Basin.
The one hundred pc sale of two of MinRes’ exploration permits to Hancock was accomplished in December 2024 for preliminary consideration of AU$780 million, with potential for as much as AU$327 million relying on whether or not sure circumstances and thresholds are met. The permits embrace the Moriarty Deep prospect and the Lockyer fuel and Erregulla oil discoveries.
Separate to that sale, the 2 corporations are additionally forming two 50/50 exploration joint ventures for MinRes’ remaining permits within the Perth and Carnarvon Basins. Hancock will purchase 50 p.c of the MinRes Explorer drill rig, which is the biggest in Australia.
Gina Rinehart’s potash and agriculture investments
Gina Rinehart’s potash and agricultural investments heart on Hancock Prospecting’s possession pursuits in a number of premium cattle stations in Australia, and the corporate’s royalty income generated from the Anglo-American-controlled Woodsmith potash undertaking at present underneath development in the UK.
With an unique funding of AU$380.6 million in 2016 to then-owner Sirius Minerals, Hancock Prospecting has a 5 p.c income royalty on the primary 13 million tonnes of fertiliser produced from Woodsmith and 1 p.c thereafter. Hancock additionally has a 20,000 tonne per 12 months offtake possibility. The timeline for Rinehart’s royalty income has been pushed again, nonetheless, as Anglo is reducing spending at Woodsmith following BHP’s (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) failed mega-merger with Anglo American.
Investor takeaway
With Gina Rinehart on the helm of Hancock Prospecting, the Roy Hill iron ore mine has generated stellar revenues.
That wealth creation not solely made her Australia’s richest particular person, however has additionally constructed a robust battle chest from which Rinehart is increasing her mining empire.
Buyers can take cues from her latest and future strikes within the mining sector. Though she could also be defensive towards renewable vitality applied sciences encroaching on agricultural land, she understands the strategical significance of investing in essential metals for the inexperienced transition similar to lithium, uncommon earths and copper.
FAQs for Gina Rinehart
How a lot is Gina Rinehart value?
Gina Rinehart’s internet value is reported to be AU$38.11 billion, sustaining her spot because the richest Australian, in accordance with figures from the Australian Monetary Evaluation’s Wealthy Checklist 2025. Nonetheless, her whole wealth is down 6 p.c over the earlier 12 months.
“Iron ore magnate Rinehart has topped the Wealthy Checklist for the sixth 12 months in a row, however the falling iron ore worth has hit the valuation of her Hancock Prospecting, wiping round $2b off her estimated internet value,” the record’s authors clarify.
What firm does Gina Rinehart personal?
Gina Rinehart owns Hancock Prospecting, a non-public firm based by her late father Lang Hancock. Initially an iron ore mining firm, at the moment the agency has strategic stakes in a wide-range of metals and commodities from lithium and uncommon earths to copper and agriculture, that are detailed on this article.
What does Gina Rinehart take into consideration nuclear vitality?
Gina Rinehart is pro-nuclear vitality. Throughout a speech at The Australian Bush Summit in 2023, she railed in opposition to the influence of wind and photo voltaic farms on a lot wanted agricultural land in Australia. She steered that nuclear vitality affords a extra viable answer for reaching the nation’s internet zero targets.
Is Gina Rinehart the richest particular person in Australia?
Gina Rinehart is the richest particular person in Australia with a internet value of AU$38.11 billion. In 2025, she topped the Australian Monetary Evaluation’s Wealthy Checklist for the sixth consecutive 12 months in a row. The following richest Australian, actual property developer Harry Triguboff, trails her at AU$29.65 billion.
Is Gina Rinehart the richest girl on the planet?
Gina Rinehart just isn’t the richest girl on the planet. Whereas she did rank because the world’s ninth richest girl in 2024, as of March 2025, she is now not within the prime ten. The excellence of richest girl on the planet goes to Walmart (NYSE:WMT) heiress Alice Walton. Rinehart beforehand held the title in 2012.
That is an up to date model of an article first revealed by the Investing Information Community in 2024.
Remember to observe us @INN_Australia for real-time information updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, maintain no direct funding curiosity in any firm talked about on this article.
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