Rocket Lab Founder Jumps to $11b Fortune
Business news is presented by
New Zealand now has 26 billionaires, eight more than last year, with the tech sector driving most of the growth.
The National Business Review's annual rich list found the country's wealthiest people are collectively worth $129 billion, up from $102 billion in 2025.
Zuru Toys co-founders Nick and Mat Mowbray retain the top spot with a $20 billion valuation.
Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck recorded the most dramatic wealth increase — from around $650 million last year to about $11 billion this year.
NBR co-editor Hamish McNicol said the list has 19 new members worth a combined $10.22 billion, and technology is the major growth engine.
"There have been several notable capital raises for New Zealand-based and New Zealand founded tech firms over the last 12 months," McNicol said.
Eleven of the 19 newcomers work in tech and services, a category now worth $31.93 billion — more than double last year's $14.64 billion total.
Beck has backed several other New Zealand tech companies, including Halter, whose founder Craig Piggott debuted on this year's list after his company was valued at $3.4 billion in March.
Another newcomer is Paul Copplestone, after the database company he co-founded, Supabase, was valued at US$10 billion this month.
"Many talk up New Zealand's opportunity to become a tech-export hub, and there is a lot of momentum in the sector to build on," McNicol said.
This year's list is the 40th edition and profiles 150 individuals and families. The top ten are collectively worth $64 billion, while the average net worth is $984 million for individuals, $704 million for families, and $1.68 billion for duos.
"In 40 years, the number of profiles has nearly tripled, while the collective wealth has increased 23-fold. Over that time, the Rich List has chronicled the story of wealth in New Zealand through times of boom and bust, providing the most thorough account of who the country's wealthiest people are, how they created their wealth and where the money flows are going," McNicol said.
Among the newcomers, engineer Skipp Williamson is the third woman to feature on the Rich List in her own right, alongside Lucy Liu and Anna Mowbray. Williamson sold her consulting firm, Partners in Performance, to Accenture for a reported $450 million in 2024.
"They carry enormous financial and political influence, invest into the next wave of entrepreneurs, and give back to their communities. They each have stories full of lessons to tell," McNicol said.
Top Ten
- Nick and Mat Mowbray
- Graeme Hart
- Sir Peter Beck
- Goodman Family
- Todd Family
- Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh
- Sir Michael Friedlander
- Sir Rod Drury
- Talley Family
- Peter Cooper
Newcomers
- James Cameron
- Zhang Family
- Alex Kendall
- Stewart Family
- Lawrence Railton
- Tim Edney
- Paul Copplestone
- Dave Ferguson
- Sanderson Family
- Speedy Family
- Craig Piggott
- Glenn Ritchie
- Skipp Williamson
- Levi Fawcett
- Steven Adams
- Bruce Miller and Matt Walsh
- Steve Stockman
- Hamish McKenzie
- Faull Family
Source: RNZ / whatsoninvers.nz