Aussie billionaires Gina Rinehart and Anthony Pratt snag exclusive invites to inauguration

Two of Australia’s richest people are doubling down on their ties to Donald Trump at exclusive events celebrating his return to power.

Two of Australia’s richest people are doubling down on their ties to Donald Trump, celebrating his return to power at exclusive events during the inauguration festivities.

Packaging billionaire Anthony Pratt and mining magnate Gina Rinehart are both in Washington DC, having separately already congratulated the incoming president with full page advertisements in New York newspapers.

The night before Mr Trump was sworn in, he hosted a black tie candlelight dinner which was attended by Mr Pratt, who contributed a $US1.1m donation to the celebrations.

The Australian sat next to Pam Bondi, the Republican’s pick as his attorney general, at the invite-only event.

Over the weekend, he also attended a private cocktail event hosted by former PayPal boss Peter Thiel in honour of JD Vance, the incoming vice president.

Visy Chairman Anthony Pratt is in Washington DC for the Trump festivities. Photo: Glenn Hunt / The Australian

Anthony Pratt placed a congratulatory ad in The New York Times.

It is understood Mr Pratt spoke at length with Donald Trump Jr, House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, who has recently ditched his company’s diversity policies and fact-checking programs in a bid to curry favour with Mr Trump.

Mr Pratt was then invited to join Mr Vance’s Secret Service motorcade on the way to his black tie dinner at the National Gallery of Art.

Mrs Rinehart was joined in Washington DC by Adam Giles, the Hancock Agriculture boss and former Northern Territory chief minister, who said he hoped Australia could “learn something from the US and set our country back on track”.

Gina Rinehart visits the Arlington National Cemetery during her visit. Picture: LinkedIn

Mr Giles, the Hancock Agriculture boss and the former Northern Territory chief minister, said he hoped Australia could “learn something from the US and set our country back on track”.

“We have come to support the new Trump administration as he and the Republicans seek to implement their policies to increase investment and economic development,” he said.

“These policies are what Australia needs. Instead we get more red tape, the world’s highest electricity prices, ever increasing taxes and an economic environment where government frowns upon business and free enterprise. Such socialist policies hold Australians back.”

Mr Giles warned that without a similar “change of direction in Australia” to follow Mr Trump’s lead, the country would continue to lose investment overseas, see disposable incomes and living standards decline, and place greater pressure on families.

Speaking in Washington DC, Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed the involvement of Australia’s billionaires in the inauguration to further bolster ties with the new administration.

Both Mrs Rinehart and Mr Pratt have been long-term supporters of Mr Trump, with the Visy boss announcing after November’s election that he was moving to the US full-time.

Originally published as Aussie billionaires Gina Rinehart and Anthony Pratt snag exclusive invites to inauguration