Why James Packer is the Rich Lister of the year

It’s been another long, tough year for the members of Australia’s super rich club.

A year that started with Gina Rinehart becoming the richest woman in the world will end with commodity prices under pressure and the golden mining sector glow that has lit the Rich List for more than five years seemingly fading.

We’ll have to wait until next year until Forbes and BRW publish their official rich lists to see exactly how much the total wealth has fallen, but expect Rinehart to shed billions and the coal barons – Chris Wallin, Sam Chong and, of course, Clive Palmer – to be hit hard as well.