By MATHEW DEARNALEY
Won Lotto lately and think you are headed for the Rich List? Forget it - the National Business Review has raised the bar for this year's list by $10 million, meaning you must have at least $25 million to get a look in.
Despite the tougher threshold, the list
has grown to 187 individuals and families, after 29 new entries eclipsed 25 who fell off from last year.
(One casualty is Auckland City Mayor John Banks, who squeezed into last year's list with an estimated net minimum worth of $16 million.)
A $4 billion increase in the combined net worth of those listed this year to more than $22 billion has the compilers gushing about an "explosion" of wealth in what they call a time of exceptional prosperity.
Topping the list of individuals for the third year running is food tycoon Graeme Hart, whose estimated worth has grown from $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion.
He is more than twice as rich as runner-up Douglas Myers, but the liquor baron has edged $20 million ahead of merchant bankers Sir Michael Fay and David Richwhite to a net worth of $650 million.
Fellow liquor baron Michael Erceg has catapulted into fifth place, his estimated worth leaping from $300 million to $580 million.
Richest family again by far are the Todds, with their energy resources empire now worth $2.2 billion - $200 million more than last year.
New richest woman is Janet Cameron, who launched the Kathmandu brand of outdoor clothing and mountaineering gear in 1987 and is now worth $105 million.
Another new entrant is the Stevenson quarrying and building supplies family, worth $134 million.
The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is valued at $180 million, up from $70 million last year.
