Frank Lowy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Lowy
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Lowy at the Australian Football Awards in October 2011
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| Born |
Frank P. Lowy
22 October 1930 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Businessman, investor |
| Years active | 1952−present |
| Known for | Co-founder, Westfield |
| Board member of |
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| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3; including Steven Lowy |
Sir Frank P. Lowy (born 22 October 1930) is a very successful Australian-Israeli businessman. He is known for starting and leading the Westfield company. Westfield built and managed many large shopping centers around the world.
In 2018, a French company bought Westfield Corporation. Frank Lowy was also the first chairman of Scentre Group. This company owns and manages Westfield shopping centers in Australia and New Zealand.
Frank Lowy is one of Australia's richest people. In 2010, he was even the richest person in Australia! He also started important groups like the Lowy Institute. This group helps Australia understand what is happening in the world. He also leads a group in Israel that studies national security.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Journey to Australia
Frank Lowy was born in a country called Czechoslovakia in 1930. This area is now part of Slovakia. During World War II, he faced many challenges. He had to live in a special area in Hungary.
In 1946, he traveled to France. From there, he tried to go to Mandatory Palestine (now Israel). However, British authorities stopped his ship. He was held in a camp in Cyprus. Later, he joined the Haganah and fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
In 1952, Lowy left Israel and moved to Australia. He joined his family, who had started a small business there.
Building the Westfield Empire
In 1953, Frank Lowy met another immigrant, John Saunders. They became business partners. Together, they started the Westfield Development Corporation. Their first shopping center was built in Blacktown, near Sydney.
Over the next 30 years, Lowy and Saunders built many shopping centers. They expanded across Australia and into the United States. In 1960, they listed their company on the Australian Stock Exchange. John Saunders left the company in 1987. In the 1990s, Lowy expanded Westfield into New Zealand. In the 2000s, they opened centers in the United Kingdom.
Frank Lowy was a director of the Reserve Bank of Australia from 1995 to 2005. In 2011, after turning 80, he stepped down as the main leader of the Westfield Group. His sons, Steven and Peter, became joint chief executives. In 2015, he also stepped down as chairman of the Scentre Group. He had held that role for 55 years.
Personal Life
Frank Lowy married Shirley Rusanow in 1954. They met at a Jewish dance. They have three sons: Peter, Steven, and David. Peter and Steven helped manage the Westfield business. David manages the family's other investments.
His wife, Shirley, started the Chai Foundation. This group supports research to find better cancer treatments. Frank Lowy moved to Israel at the end of 2018. Lady Lowy passed away in Tel Aviv in December 2020.
Net Worth
Frank Lowy has been on the Financial Review Rich List every year since 1983. This list names Australia's wealthiest people. In 2010, his wealth was estimated at over A$5 billion. This made him the richest person in Australia at that time. In 2023, his wealth was estimated at A$9.33 billion.
| Year | BRW Rich 200 |
Forbes Australia's 50 Richest |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Net worth (A$) | Rank | Net worth (US$) | |
| 2007 | 2  |
$6.51 billion  |
2 |
$4.30 billion |
| 2008 | 2  |
$6.30 billion |
4 |
$4.40 billion |
| 2009 | 2 |
$4.20 billion |
2 |
$2.80 billion |
| 2010 | 1 |
$5.04 billion |
3 |
$3.50 billion |
| 2011 | 6 |
$4.98 billion |
4 |
$4.30 billion |
| 2012 | 3 |
$6.47 billion |
5 |
$4.40 billion |
| 2013 | 2 |
$6.80 billion |
4 |
$5.30 billion |
| 2014 | 4 |
$7.16 billion |
6 |
$4.60 billion |
| 2015 | 4 |
$7.84 billion |
3 |
$5.0 billion |
| 2016 | 3 |
$8.26 billion |
4 |
$5.0 billion |
| 2017 | 4 |
$8.26 billion |
4 |
$5.70 billion |
| 2018 | 5 |
$8.42 billion |
4 |
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| 2019 | 7 |
$8.57 billion |
4 |
$6.50 billion |
| 2020 | 9 |
$8.30 billion |
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| 2021 | 9 |
$8.51 billion |
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| 2022 | 10 |
$9.30 billion |
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| 2023 | 10 |
$9.33 billion |
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| Legend | |
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| Icon | Description |
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Has not changed from the previous year |
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Has increased from the previous year |
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Has decreased from the previous year |
Football in Australia
In the 1980s, Frank Lowy was the president of the Hakoah Social Club. This club was connected to the Hakoah Sydney City East FC football team. Lowy stepped away from football in 1988.
He returned to the sport in 2004. At that time, Australian football needed a fresh start. The Prime Minister and Sports Minister asked Lowy to lead a new board. Lowy created the "Australia Soccer Association," which later became Football Federation Australia (FFA).
Lowy was the chairman of the FFA from 2003 to 2015. Many people say he helped bring Australian football back to life. A new professional league, the A-League, was started. Australia also became a member of the Asian Football Confederation.
In 2007, Lowy led a campaign for Australia to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Australian Government supported this with A$43 million. However, in 2010, FIFA chose Qatar to host the World Cup instead.
In 2015, Lowy fell off a stage during an A-League event. He had surgery later that year. He then handed over his role as FFA chairman to his son, Steven Lowy. This decision caused some debate. Eventually, FIFA helped create a new way of running Australian football. Steven Lowy later resigned from the role.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
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Frank Lowy is known for his generous giving. He supports many different causes with his time and money. In 2002, he was named Australia's top giver. He donated A$10 million that year.
In 2003, he started the Lowy Institute. This group helps Australia understand international issues. He gave A$30 million to set it up. In 2010, Lowy and his family donated A$10 million. This money helped build the UNSW Lowy Cancer Research Centre. This center works to find cures for cancer. In 2022, he donated $18 million to Tel Aviv University.
March of the Living
In April 2013, Frank Lowy went to the March of the Living. This event brings students to Auschwitz-Birkenau to remember the Holocaust. Lowy shared the story of his father, Hugo Lowy. His father died at Auschwitz during the Holocaust.
Frank Lowy was 13 when he lost his father. To honor his father and other Hungarian Jews, Lowy paid to restore a railway wagon. This type of wagon was used to transport Jews to Auschwitz. He placed the wagon at the former concentration camp.
During the memorial, Lowy spoke to the students. He said, "I was 13 when I lost my father, and now I am 82 – and you know, I still miss him."
Awards and Recognition
Frank Lowy has received many awards for his work. In 2000, he was given the Companion of the Order of Australia. This was for his service to business and his charity work.
In 2005, he received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. This award recognized his efforts in starting the Lowy Institute. In 2008, Australia Post honored him with a special postage stamp. This stamp was part of the Australian Legends series.
In 2017, he was made a Knight by the Queen of the United Kingdom. This was for his important contributions to business and charity.
Images for kids
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Lowy at the Australian Football Awards in October 2011
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Lowy at the 2013 March of the Living in Auschwitz-Birkenau in front of the cattle car donated in memory of his father, Hugo
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Lowy receiving the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2005
