Olivia Newton-John’s life as a businesswoman and her wealth
Best known for her singing and acting career, Olivia Newton-John’s $85m empire extended beyond – into property, fashion and medical marijuana.
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Olivia Newton-John is best known for her music and acting career – but over the years she built up a substantial legacy as a businesswoman.
The soundtrack to her 1978 hit film Grease sold 25 million copies worldwide, allowing Newton-John to reshape her public image through her breakout role as Sandy.
It’s estimated she died with a net worth of about $US60 million ($A85.9 million) amassed through business ventures and her singing and acting career.
She released her hit album Physical in 1981 and a sportswear business, Koala Blue, the following year.
Koala Blue was originally co-founded with Pat Farrar as an exporter of Australian goods, before expanding into women’s clothing, wine and bed and bath products.
At its peak, the company attracted sales of more than $25m annually, opening 49 stores across four continents before filing for bankruptcy in 1991.
“We expanded so fast when the (1990s) recession hit, we got really hurt,” Newton-John said in a statement at the time.
Having experienced recurrent bouts of breast cancer in 1992, 2013 and 2017, Newton-John expanded her pursuits into medicine and wellness.
She opened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital in 2012.
The associated Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund sponsors research into naturopathy and cancer, after Newton-John’s self-attested success with cannabis oil as a pain alleviator.
“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” her husband, John Easterling, said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
“Her healing inspiration and pioneering experiment with plant medicine continues with the Olivia-Newton John Foundation Fund.”
Newton-John auctioned off her Grease memorabilia in 2019 to raise money for the organisation, including her Pink Ladies jacket, Bad Sandy leather ensemble, signed photos and other accessories.
The auction raised $3.4m, with the leather jacket garnering $348,500 alone.
Newton-John co-founded one of Byron Bay’s most renowned wellness resorts, Gaia Retreat and Spa. Opened in 2005, the 22-room boutique resort sits on eight hectares of hinterland and offers a day spa, saltwater pool and walking tracks.
It was sold to Tattarang, the private investment group owned by mining magnate Andrew Forrest, for $30m last year.
Colliers agent Karen Wales, who facilitated the sale, described Gaia Retreat as an early starter in the wellness tourism market, which accelerated dramatically during the pandemic.
In additional property pursuits, Newton-John owned a main residence, ranch and several beach houses in Malibu, California and a multimillion dollar home in Juniper Inlet, Florida.
She purchased a 12-acre horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley outside Santa Barbara, California, and a 187-acre Byron Bay farm.
The latter property, Dalwood Estate, was sold in 2019 for $4.6 million.
Newton-John’s death was confirmed on Tuesday morning. She is survived by Mr Easterling, daughter Chloe Latanzzi and siblings Tony and Sarah Newton-John.
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Originally published as Olivia Newton-John’s life as a businesswoman and her wealth
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