Billionaire chicken farmer Bob Ingham dies aged 88

Billionaire chicken farmer and racing magnate Bob Ingham, who helped build one of Australia’s largest chicken producers, has died aged 88.

Billionaire Australian chicken magnate and racehorse breeder Bob Ingham has died aged 88.

News of Mr Ingham’s death came to light on Wednesday, with his family confirming he passed away on Tuesday “surrounded” by his loved ones.

Bob and his brother Jack built Inghams Enterprises into one of the largest producers of chicken and turkey products in Australia, with the company now having more than 100 locations across Australia and New Zealand.

The company was founded in 1918 in bushland in Sydney’s southwest, with Bob’s grandfather, Walter Ingham, buying a handful of hens and a rooster for his son, also named Walter.

Sydney billionaire Bob Ingham has died aged 88.

The younger Walter grew the business and passed it on to his sons Bob and Jack when he died in the 1950s.

Together, the brothers turned the tiny chicken farm into a billion dollar business, with Bob continuing to run the company after his brother died in 2003.

Bob sold Inghams Enterprises to TPG for $880 million in 2013.

Along with running the chicken business, he also co-founded the nation’s largest thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation.

“Bob always had a passion for horse racing. Along with Jack they turned this passion into the largest thoroughbred racing and breeding operation in Australia at the time,” the Ingham family said in a statement.

“He was a pioneer and visionary of his day whose work and legacy will live on for many years.

“His hard work, commitment and philosophy of ‘doing the right things and doing things right’ underpinned everything he did. He made us very proud. We will miss him greatly.”

Bob sold the racehorse breeding operation for a record $500 million in 2008, making it the biggest deal ever recorded in the history of thoroughbred racing and breeding.

Jack and Bob Ingham with their champion racehorse Octagonal.

Bob Ingham at the Randwick races in 2003. Picture: Jenny Duggan

Along with being a savvy businessman, Bob was also well-known for his philanthropy, opening the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research in 2012.

“Bob, along with his brother Jack, made a significant contribution over the past 60-plus years not just to the needs of Liverpool’s local population but also the greater southwest Sydney community and ultimately, through one of Australia’s homegrown business success of Inghams Enterprises, the wider Australian population,” his family said.

In lieu of flowers, the Ingham family had asked anyone who wishes to pay their respects to make a donation to the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research.

Bob leaves behind his wife Norma and children Lyn, Debbie, Robby, and John. He also has 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Members of the Ingham family have made headlines in recent years for different business deals, record-breaking house sales and showing their wealthy lifestyles on Instagram.

In 2019, Bob’s son Robby Ingham and his wife Sarah sold their property on the NSW south coast for a record $11.3 million.

The 100-acre Ocean Pines property went to auction last year, smashing the reserve price of $8 million and resulting in the highest auction sale price result on the south coast.

Robby isn’t the only family member who has made headlines, with Jess Ingham, granddaughter of Jack Ingham, well-known among Sydney’s socialites.

Jess’ Instagram is filled with pictures of sparkling diamond jewellery, designer handbags, luxury cars and expensive dinners.

Jess is best friends with Sydney PR queen, Roxy Jacenko, with the pair announcing last month they were launching a new business venture together.

They have created a “celebration and eventing” brand called XRJCelebrations, which offers large, colourful candle centrepieces.

The website states the candles can be “a replacement to the traditional celebration cake (for those watching their waistline) or a fabulous addition to the celebration table that makes you go – WOW!”