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This Month

Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Why Musk has hit payday even before Trump takes office

The Tesla chief executive and other super-wealthy entrepreneurs could benefit from deregulation with the new president, but some are already reaping rewards.

  • Edward Luce
Naomi Simson started RedBalloon in 2001 and has become one of the country’s most recognisable founders.

‘A man is not a plan’: How Naomi Simson created an experiences empire

Naomi Simson founded RedBalloon in 2001 on a shoestring budget. Now she’s looking to expand the company into the international market.

  • Yolanda Redrup

With Canva as a client, this start-up just hit $100m thanks to Airtree

The Brisbane company has raised $22 million, and is now backed by Scott Farquhar and Kim Jackson’s Skip Capital along with Employment Hero founder Ben Thompson.

  • Updated
  • Tess Bennett
Khuda

Khuda’s plan to turn AirTrunk into a $100b-plus company

Robin Khuda believes injecting billions into Asian economies will open more doors to exponential growth for the data centre behemoth.

  • Campbell Kwan

November

SafetyCulture founder Luke Anear with new chief executive Kelly Vohs. 

Software unicorn SafetyCulture to be run from New York with new CEO

SafetyCulture’s founder Luke Anear says he never really wanted to be chief executive, and that the company may be more likely to go public under Kelly Vohs.

  • Amelia McGuire
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Sam Morton, founder and owner of SKDA Moto, which sells graphics kits to motorcycle owners around the world. He started the business from a bedroom when he was 18, and now counts British motorcycle brand Triumph as big customers.

How to build a $9m business from your bedroom

Sam Morton’s company supplies graphics kits for motorcycle owners – and had a big win when iconic British brand Triumph signed him up.

  • Simon Evans
Nick Molnar and Anthony Eisen. Afterpay celebrated its 10th birthday this week.

Inside a decade-long rollercoaster ride with Afterpay’s Nick Molnar

Ten years ago this week, the buy now, pay later firm’s founder sold some jewellery to his business partner Anthony Eisen in a novel way: pay-in-four.

  • James Eyers and Jonathan Shapiro
George Tomeski, left, founder and CEO, Helfie and Tony de Fougerolles its chairman, pictured in New York where they were attending a healthcare conference.

An app diagnosing cancers? Helfie thinks it could be worth billions

The start-up says it is using AI to screen for a dozen ailments as it tries to raise some $150 million. If successful, it will be Australia’s latest unicorn.

  • Paul Smith

Have a listen to this AI sales call – it’s getting scarily realistic

When it came to selling a new range of drinks to schools, supermarkets and petrol stations, a Brisbane entrepreneur succeeded with artificial intelligence.

  • Tess Bennett

October

Karen Cariss will step down from the PageUp  board after selling her remaining stake in the company she founded in 1997.

Tech founder cashes out with more than $100m after 27-year run

Private equity giant EQT has acquired HR software business PageUp, buying out the founders.

  • Tess Bennett

How these Young Rich Listers celebrated their own 21st birthdays

To mark the 21st anniversary of the list, we ask notable Young Rich Listers past and present what their lives were like at 21.

  • Yolanda Redrup, Lauren Sams and Matthew Drummond
From left: Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht; Natasha Oakley (front); Georgia Contos; James and Robbie Ferguson.

Australia’s richest people 40 and under break record

The Young Rich List, now in its 21st year, set a new high for total wealth of $41.7 billion in 2024, dominated by technology entrepreneurs and retailers.

  • Yolanda Redrup
Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, Ed Craven; Sam Prince, James Ferguson, Robbie Ferguson.

The 10 richest young Australians revealed

The Young Rich List, now in its 21st year, has uncovered how the wealthiest Australians aged 40 and under are building their fortunes.

  • Yolanda Redrup

How Jason Daniel went from ‘loose kid’ to the Young Rich List

The LSKD founder always pushed boundaries as he built his activewear company. Now he’s chasing a $1 billion target.

  • Carrie LaFrenz
John Ilhan at Crown Towers in Melbourne in the early 2000s.

From Crazy John’s to Canva, here’s to 21 years of the Young Rich List

Created in the shadow of the dotcom bust, the Young Rich List has unearthed waves of our best entrepreneurs, and been witness to a few busts.

  • James Thomson
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The real cost of being a Young Rich founder

Many successful entrepreneurs are glad they didn’t know what they were in for, as it would have discouraged them from taking a rocky, albeit rewarding path.

  • Yolanda Redrup
Jason Haynes, CEO of Boost Mobile.

Young people, Telstra sceptics: How Boost CEO plans to grow telco

The pre-paid telco backed by Peter Adderton and Paul Keating claims to be gaining market share in an industry that CEO Jason Haynes says is riddled with too many choices.

  • Jenny Wiggins

September

Step One underwear founder and CEO Greg Taylor says a decision to branch out into women’s underwear was crucial in turning around the fortunes of the group.

Step One founder sells down, Morgans on trade

The broker had $30 million of shares in the bamboo underwear maker up for grabs at $1.70, although Greg Taylor will retain majority ownership.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Indebted founder and chief executive Josh Foreman has relocated to the US, its most lucrative market.

Digital debt collector worth $350m after big money raise

Business booms for InDebted when cost-of-living hits consumers. It has attracted new investors, including a super fund to back a rare valuation increase.

  • Paul Smith
SpaceX spacewalk.

Billionaire goes from basement to world’s first private spacewalk

Jared Isaacman planted the seeds of payments company Shift4 in his parents’ basement and used to scrounge for pizza dollars. But at 41, he’s just made history.

  • Emily Mason

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/entrepreneur-5wt