Anthony Pratt, Australia’s richest man ever has pledged to give away $1 billion in the country’s biggest donation in the history. The son of the late Richard Pratt, the waste paper recycling king, plans to donate the funds to charity during his lifetime.
‘My goal is to give away $1 billion before I die. I can afford to and it’s a great honor and privilege to do so,’ he told the Herald Sun.
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In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Herald, the Visy Industries boss said he hopes it will help thousands of Australians throw out children’s hospitals, medical research, charitable trusts, and arts.
Anthony Pratt, 57, is the son of leading figure of Melbourne society, Richard Pratt, who’s Jewish parents arrived in Australia in 1938, seeking safe refuge from the Nazis. The family changed her name from Przecicki to Pratt. Richard was a gifted soccer player and study acting while working as a salesman for the family business, Visy Board. When he took over the company after the death of his father, Leon, in February 1969, Visy had already hundreds of employees and an annual turnover of A$5 million.
Richard Pratt married Jewish journalist, Jeanne Lasker, and they had 3 children: Anthony Pratt, Heloise who married to Alex Waislitz, a businessman, and Collingwood Football club Vice President, and Fiona who married Raphael Geminder of Pact Group Industries Pty.
Richard had another daughter, Paula, now 20, from his longtime mistress, socialite Shari-Lea Hitchcock.
In 2008, Richard Pratt was Australia’s fourth-richest person, with a personal fortune valued at A$5.48 billion. He died in 2009.
