This man yesterday made $1bil. How was your day?
Fleur Leyden | November 16, 2007 12:00am
ANDREW "Twiggy" Forrest is in the box seat to become Australia's second richest man to James Packer, even though his company is yet to ship any iron ore.
The 42-year-old resource magnate made $1 billion - at least on paper - yesterday, after his company, Fortescue Metals Group, discovered a huge new iron ore deposit in the Pilbara region in Western Australia.
Mr Forrest's paper wealth grew the equivalent of about $375 million an hour from 1.20pm, when the announcement was made to the stock market, to 4pm, when the share market closed.
Fortescue shares rose to a record $64.99 before closing up $9.67 or nearly 19 per cent at $61.20.
With a paper net worth in the resource company of about $6.2 billion, Mr Forrest could overtake the country's second richest man, shopping centre developer Frank Lowy.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22766584-661,00.html