Lindsay Fox
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Lindsay Edward Fox AC (born April 19, 1937 in Melbourne, Australia) is a successful businessman and the 15th richest person in Australia or New Zealand with a net worth of around $990 million. [1] He is best known for his trucking company, Linfox, and he is the son of a truck driver.
[edit] Early life
Lindsay was brought up in Prahran and left school when he was 16 years old. He has been quoted as saying that his early family life was difficult and that "I had a pretty abusive father". [2]
He was educated at Melbourne High School, but was asked to leave due to his poor academic performance and lack of academic interest whilst attending Year 10. It has been revealed by Lindsay that he received this advice from teachers at the school to do so for his best interests. Therefore, under good terms with Melbourne High School, he started working as a truck driver and was able to use this as a springboard to found Linfox. He has since visited Melbourne High School on numerous occassions, on formal occassions. An indicator of his tremendous work ethic and raw business savvy can be read on a profile of Fox televised on the ABC
The suicide of his son Michael in 1991 was followed in 1992 by being named "Victorian Father of the Year" and Fox joined the Australian Institute for Family Studies. [3] In 1993 his son David was convicted of assaulting a football player in a football match leaving the victim permanently paralyzed.
[edit] Football career
Lindsay Fox played Australian rules football for many of his earlier years, with moderate success and continues his involvement with the sport.
Recruited from the St Kilda Football Club's thirds side (which he captained), Fox was sent to Golden Point Football Club in the Ballarat Football League before he returned to make his Victorian Football League debut in 1960. Fox did not think much of his footballing abilities, but as a ruckman he went on to play 20 games (for 3 goals) between 1959 and 1961. Following his stint in the VFL, he went to the VFA, playing firstly for the Moorabbin and then Brighton-Caulfield football clubs.
He later returned in an administrative role, becoming the president of the Saints in 1979.
[edit] Business interests
He has been involved with a number of high profile disputes with the Government relating to his property development activities. In the late 1990s he attepted to claim the public beach area in front of his holiday home as a private helipad for his helicopter and to build a high security compound for himself and his family. This development was rejected by the Victorian planning minister. [4]
However he has also been able to use his government contacts to gain favourible treatment by being granted permission to land his helicopter near his Portsea home on crown land. [5]
He maintains a good relationship with Melbourne High, and has made numerous large donations to his former school. He also famously has a deal with the school which allows his private helicopter to land on the main oval when required.
He started his Linfox company in 1956 with 1 truck. [6]
Fox purchased the "Saint Moritz" ice skating rink (where he met his wife, Paula) to re-develop. After the plans had been rejected by the St Kilda Council the building was destroyed by fire in suspicious circumstances.
Fox was also involved in an unsuccessful attempt to resurrect Ansett airlines with Solomon Lew following its collapse in September 2001.
Fox has been in dispute with the local council of his Toorak mansion by attempting to have the heritage listing that applies to all homes in the street removed from his property. [7] His son's Toorak home was destroyed by fire in suspicious circumstances. [8]
He also took ownership of Melbourne's Luna Park in late 2005. In 2006, he made an unsuccessful bid for the development of the neighbouring 'Triangle Site' on St Kilda's foreshore. The property was subsequently destroyed by fire. [9] [10] [11]
He spent a reported $250,000 on his 70th birthday party and requested that the rental of the venue (Sydney Opera House) be treated as a tax deductible donation. The offer was refused by the trustee of the Opera House. [12]
Fox frequently mentions in his interviews that he 'gives millions to charity each year' however this can not be confirmed.
In 2008, he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia.
