Australian World Cup bid leader is country's richest man, new survey reveals

By Duncan Mackay
British Internet Sports Writer of the Year

May 26 – Frank Lowy (pictured left), the chairman of Football Federation Australia (FFA) and the leader of the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, has come out top as Australia’s richest man for the first time, a new survey published today revealed.

Lowy’s personal fortune is estimated at A$5.04 billion (£2.9 billion/$4.14 billion), according to the annual ranking of Australia’s wealthiest people by BRW magazine.

The 79-year-old businessman, who was born in Czechoslovakia, emigrated to Australia from Israel in 1952 and started a business delivering small goods.

That has since blossomed into The Westfield Group, a retail giant that owns dozens of shopping centres in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Britain, including a new development at Stratford City, next to the 2012 Olympic Park.

Football in Australia has been transformed since Lowy took over in 2003 following aallegations of fraud and mismanagement within Soccer Australia after the country’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in 2002.

Under Lowy, Australia has left the Oceania Football Confederation and joined the Asian Football Confederation, qualifying for the last two World Cup competitions, including South Africa, which begins next month.

A new A-League has also been established and the sport is on a more firm financial footing.

Lowy, who also been linked with a takeover bid for former English champions Leeds United, has been the driving force behind Australia’s World Cup bid, his influence and contacts helping put country in the position where it is one of the favourites to be awarded the 2022 tournament.

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