Gina Rinehart Western Australian of the year: Mining magnate covers her eye during acceptance speech
Health concerns cause Gina Rinehart to cover her face during awards speech after being crowned Western Australian of the Year
- Australia’s richest woman accepted the award from behind a fan
- She gave a clear warning about the need to protect the skin
Billionaire Gina Rinehart has sent Australians a life-saving reminder about the need to protect themselves from the sun.
The richest woman in the country used her acceptance speech after being crowned Western Australian of the Year on Friday night to urge the public to take care of their skin.
Ms Rinehart, 69, had left hospital just hours before having recently had minor surgery to remove a melanoma from her face, partially covering her bruised face behind a large white fan.
Billionaire Gina Rinehart accepted her Western Australian of the Year award from behind a huge fan (pictured) to cover up bruises from recent melanoma removal surgery
Mrs. Rinehart (pictured) sharply warned her compatriots about the need to protect their skin from the sun
“I should probably remind you all: please put on the sunscreen, put on the hats and do the checkups, please, which I didn’t,” she said.
The mining magnate attended Friday night’s gala dinner in the ballroom of Perth’s Crown along with a host of other famous faces, including the new Prime Minister Roger Cook, Mineral Resources founder Chris Ellison and Seven West Media’s executive chairman Kerry Stokes.
Ms Rinehart accepted her award from outgoing WA Prime Minister Mark McGowan in what was his latest engagement as head of state after announcing last week that he was stepping down because he was ‘exhausted’.
It comes because Ms Rinehart topped Australia’s wealthy list for the fourth year in a row last week.
Her $37.41 billion fortune puts her ahead of fellow mining tycoon Andrew Forrest, who has an estimated net worth of $33.29 billion.
Her wealth stems primarily from the success of her massive Roy Hill mine in Pilbara, WA, which exported more than 60 million tons of iron ore in 2021-2022, and Hancock Prospecting, which generated a massive $5.8 billion profit in 2022 .
Manufacturers and miners outperformed last year this year, with 14 slots occupied by them in the top 200 richest – up from 11 in 2022, according to the Australian Financial Review’s annual Rich List.
Gina Rinehart topped the list for the fourth consecutive year, with a net worth of $37.41 billion by 2023
Her fortune translates to being ranked 52nd on the Forbes 2023 list of global billionaires.
At the awards ceremony on Friday, Ms. Rinehart reflected on the success of Hancock Prospecting, transforming it from an ailing company into one of Australia’s premier mining companies.
The company was founded in 1955 by Mrs. Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock, who later appointed his daughter chairman in 1992.
“It’s actually a very long way from where my family business was 30 years ago and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved for our business during this time and what we’ve been able to contribute to Western Australia and our country and our future,” said she.
Ms. Rinehart is also a dedicated philanthropist and supports numerous medical, educational, sports, health and community organizations.
In 1993, she founded the Hancock Family Breast Cancer Foundation before later raising awareness about the devastating disease by painting three Roy Hill trucks pink.