Kerry Packer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kerry Packer
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![]() Packer at Parliament House in 1991
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Born |
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer
17 December 1937 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Died | 26 December 2005 Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia
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(aged 68)
Resting place | Ellerston, New South Wales, Australia |
Nationality | Australian |
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Known for |
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Net worth | A$6.5 billion (2004) |
Board member of |
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Spouse(s) | |
Children | 2, Gretel and James Packer |
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Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer AC (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later merged to form Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL). Outside Australia, Packer was best known for founding World Series Cricket. At the time of his death, Packer was the richest and one of the most influential men in Australia. In 2004, Business Review Weekly magazine estimated Packer's net worth at A$6.5 billion.
Early life
Kerry Packer was born Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer on 17 December 1937 in Sydney. His father was Sir Frank Packer, an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine Network. His mother, Gretel Bullmore, was the daughter of Herbert Bullmore, the Scottish rugby union player. He had an older brother, Clyde Packer. He took part in various sports at school, including boxing, cricket, and rugby; though he struggled academically, possibly due to undiagnosed dyslexia. On his father's death in 1974, the family estate, valued at $100 million, passed directly to Packer. His father had fallen out with his elder son, Clyde, in 1972.