Thursday, April 19, 2012

Gerry Harvey: The Friendly Billionaire


Gerry Harvey is very popular in Australia because he is approachable; someone you can just chat with anywhere. Such characteristics are very unlikely of a billionaire. Harvey is the owner of one of Australia’s biggest home entertainment and furniture retail stores.

The retail store Harvey Norman started in 1961 when Gerry and his friend Ian Norman sold electrical goods. The store was known back then as Norman Ross until Alan Bond, an Australian businessman bought the company in the early 1980s.

Harvey and Norman opened a new store in 1982 and named it Harvey Norman. The growth of the company was quick and the company was traded public at the Australian stock exchange under the name Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. Soon, the company expanded to other countries like New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore and even as far as Slovenia and Ireland.

Harvey is also passionate about horses. He owns a stable of hundreds of pedigree racehorses. He holds 50% of Magic Millions, an auction house which sells the most expensive racehorses in Australia.

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