Mineral Resources says it is reviewing its plans for managing director Chris Ellison to leave, despite having told shareholders he would depart next year after admitting to involvement in a tax evasion scheme that enriched the businessman at the expense of the company.

Ellison is the high-profile West Australian entrepreneur who founded MinRes in 1992, growing the sprawling company into an ASX-listed diversified miner and mining services business worth almost $5 billion.