| Andrew Forrest AO |
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| Born | John Andrew Henry Forrest 1961 (age 55–56) Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Residence | Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation | Non-executive chairman, Fortescue Metals Group |
| Net worth |
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| Spouse(s) | Nicola Forrest |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives |
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A$3.33 bn (2016 BRW Rich 200)
US$2.10 bn (Forbes 2015)John Andrew Henry Forrest AO (born 1961), nicknamed Twiggy, is an Australian businessman and philanthropist. He is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), but also has interests elsewhere in the mining industry and in cattle stations.
With an assessed net worth of A$3.33 billion in 2016, Forrest is ranked within the top ten richest Australians according to the BRW magazine. He was the richest person in Australia in 2008. In 2013, Forrest and his wife, Nicola, were the first Australians to pledge the majority of their wealth to charity in their lifetimes. He had earlier stepped down as CEO of Fortescue Metals in 2011 in order to spend more time on philanthropic pursuits. Much of his philanthropy has been through either the Minderoo Foundation (focusing on education and Indigenous Australians) or the Walk Free Foundation (focusing on ending modern slavery), both of which he established. In 2014, Andrew and Nicola pledged $65 million over 10 years through the Minderoo Foundation, establishing the Forrest Research Foundation to offer PhD scholarships to students perusing a PhD at a Western Australian university.
Early life
Forrest was born in Perth, Western Australia, the youngest of three children of Judith (née Fry) and Donald Forrest. His father, grandfather (Mervyn), and great-grandfather (David) were all managers of Minderoo Station, which David had established in 1878 with his brothers, Alexander and John. John, Alexander, David, and Mervyn were all members of parliament for periods, with John serving as Western Australia’s first premier. Forrest’s early years were spent as a jackaroo at Minderoo, located in the Pilbara region south of Onslow. Minderoo was owned by the Forrest family until it was sold in 1998 by his father due to relentless drought and debt, but it was bought back by Forrest in 2009.
Forrest was educated at Onslow Primary School and through the School of the Air before moving to Perth to attend Christ Church Grammar School and then Hale School. He stuttered as a child, which is how he came to develop a relationship with Ian Black, whose father Scotty, an Aboriginal, became Forrest’s mentor. Forrest went on to the University of Western Australia where he majored in economics and politics.
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