Kerry Stokes has enjoyed almost unparalleled influence in Australia’s west for decades. The Financial Review spoke to dozens of employees, friends and rivals to discover how he does it. None spoke on the record.
Mark McGowan was just off the Telethon Ball stage when it happened. It was a cool evening last October, and the charity event was the biggest night on Perth’s social calendar. Basil Zempilas, the city’s garrulous Lord Mayor, rose to thank the West Australian premier for his attendance.
“I also want to thank Kerry, the man who really runs the state,” Zempilas joked, according to two sources at the ball. It was a remark that did not go unnoted. After all, the WA premier and Anthony Albanese were in the room.
Mark Di StefanoColumnistMark Di Stefano is Rear Window columnist, based in the Sydney newsroom. He previously worked at BuzzFeed, the Financial Times and The Information before joining the Financial Review as a media and tech correspondent. Connect with Mark on Twitter. Email Mark at mark.distefano@afr.com
Max MasonSenior courts and crime reporterMax Mason covers financial crime, courts and corporate wrongdoing. A Walkley Award winner, Max’s journalism has also received awards from the National Press Club of Australia, the Kennedy Awards and Citibank. Message Max on Signal https://tinyurl.com/MaxMason Connect with Max on Twitter. Email Max at max.mason@afr.com
