Australia’s Wealthiest, Gina Rinehart, Honored by Cambodia for Philanthropic Work

Gina Rinehart, Australia’s wealthiest woman, has been awarded Cambodia’s highest honor for non-citizens, recognizing her charitable contributions to impoverished children in the Southeast Asian country. Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni conferred the Royal Order of Sahametrei on Rinehart for her “distinguished services to the King and to the people of Cambodia” during a recent ceremony.

Rinehart’s Hope Foundation scholarship, in collaboration with the Cambodian Children’s Fund, supports underprivileged Cambodian girls in pursuing a university education. At the ceremony, Rinehart was seen wearing a royal sash, accompanied by nine girls from disadvantaged backgrounds who have benefited from her charity.

Rinehart, who first met these girls in 2019, affectionately refers to them as her “daughters.” Her mining company, Hancock Prospecting,  the leading Australian-owned mining and agricultural business, states on its website that the charity’s mission is to “break cycles of poverty and abuse and create positive change in Cambodia through intervention and education for the youth.”

In a rare interview, Rinehart highlighted the difficult lives of these girls, who had to scavenge in dangerous rubbish dumps, often without parental support. She emphasized the unsafe conditions in these areas, particularly for young girls.

Hancock Prospecting also supports various other charitable initiatives aimed at promoting Indigenous businesses and educational opportunities. Earlier this year, Rinehart made headlines for giving away $100,000 tax-free raffle prizes to dozens of her employees at company events. Approximately 4,000 employees across her company’s mining, energy, and agricultural divisions were eligible for these life-changing prizes at the firm’s black-tie gatherings.

At Christmas parties and Rinehart’s birthday celebration in February, around 70 employees received a $100,000 prize, totaling $7 million in giveaways. One insider described the impact of such a prize on a rural station hand as “a crazy, life-changing thing.”

As the executive chair of Hancock Prospecting, primarily involved in iron ore mining, Rinehart’s personal wealth is estimated at an astounding $50.48 billion, according to The Australian’s Richest 250 List. Her wealth increased by $13.4 billion from last year’s $37.1 billion, placing her ahead of fellow mining magnates Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and his estranged wife Nicola.

This surge in Rinehart’s fortune is attributed to the performance of her majority-owned Roy Hill iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The record shipment of 63.3 million tonnes of iron ore drove this profit, prompting Rinehart to urge governments to reduce red tape to facilitate further mining expansion.

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