The rich like to envelop their wealth in discretion and the odd secret or two. But they also appreciate accuracy. Hence the commissioning by some Rich Listers of investment banks and advisory firms to draw up valuations of their assets, that then get forwarded to our researchers for vetting. Some provide detailed profit and loss statements, property and debt holdings and lists of assets. Many private company owners know the exact profit multiples of their sharemarket-listed peers that will be used to calculate the value of their wealth.

And the task of calculating the net worth of our Rich Listers keeps getting bigger: it is an unprecedented era for wealth in Australia. This year's Rich List features a record 76 billionaires, adding 16 from last year's edition alone. The list is topped for the second consecutive year by paper manufacturing and recycling tycoon Anthony Pratt, whose fortune is surging in large part thanks to Pratt Industries' rapid growth in the United States.