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{{short description|Australian businessman (born 1929)}}
'''Bruce Gordon''' is an ]n citizen, residing mainly in ] He ranks 891 on The ] ] with a net worth of $1.2 billion.
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bruce Gordon
| image = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing ] -->
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1929|02|04|df=y}}
| birth_place = ], ]
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|death date†|birth date†}} -->
| death_place =
| nationality = ]n
| other_names =
| occupation = Businessman; media owner; investor
| known_for = Owner of ]
| spouse = Judith Gordon
}}
'''Bruce Gordon''' (born 4 February 1929 in ], ]<ref name="afr2015"/>) is an Australian businessman. He is the owner of the Australian television network, ] through his ownership of ], the largest shareholder of ] & the largest shareholder of the ],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Windsor |first=Georgina |title= WIN Corp owner Bruce Gordon sues Nine over live-streaming of TV channels|newspaper= ] |date=11 February 2010 |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/win-corp-owner-bruce-gordon-sues-nine-over-livestreaming-of-tv-channels/news-story/b6520b61e3d406418fec753d6d52fb1a |accessdate=4 June 2016}}</ref> and holds a significant stake in ]<ref name="afr2017"/>


==Early life== ==Career==
From humble beginning, Gordon juggled fruit to lure customers into his father's street-side fruit stall. He continued to hone his magic skills into his 20s and gained his first performance at Sydney's ] theatre; later progressing onto management of the theatre. During this period he got to know ], ] and his sons, ] and ], and ].<ref name="afr2015"/>
Educated at Cleveland Street Public School, ], ], Bruce Gordon worked as a magician during the 1939-45 War, in promotion and later management for the ]. He then went on to manage Australian and Far East sales for ] (US comedian ] and ]'s production house),which was later taken over by ]. He later serviced as Vice President and then President for Paramount Television International Distribution. He worked at Paramount International Television for 35 years.


In 1962, Gordon was appointed the Australasian sales executive for Desilu Productions, which was sold to ], which renamed the studio ].<ref name="afr2015"/> Gordon worked as a programming executive for Paramount in Hollywood for thirty years.<ref name="afr2017"/>
==Television==
He gained control of Television Wollongong Transmission Ltd (later rebadged as WIN TV) in 1979 from ]. Gordon expanded WIN Television's operations in the 1990s, buying out the other shareholders in 1991 after buying two licenses in Queensland and ] that dated from 1945. By the end of the decade WIN had licenses and transmitters in ], ], ], ], ], the ] and ]. The WIN Corporation also operated property and land development operations (legacy of acquisitions), network management and a radio station in ].


Gordon gained control of Television Wollongong Transmission Ltd (later rebadged as WIN TV) in 1979 from Murdoch.<ref name="BRW2014"/> He then expanded WIN Television's operations during the 1990s, buying out the other shareholders in 1991 after buying two licences in Queensland and ].<ref name="afr2015"/> By the end of the decade WIN had licences and transmitters in all Australian states and mainland territories (except NT).<ref name="BRW2014"/>
Through his ] (which owns ]), Bruce owns 24 regional TV stations as well as the property on which they sit. Changes in Australian media ownership rules in 2007 were expected to make WIN a prime buyout target, though Gordon said he would only entertain bids of at least $780 million. In April 2007, the WIN Corporation made binding offers to buy both ] and ]. Bruce Gordon's WIN Corporation also owns public shares in ], ] and ]. Gordon has proposed making WIN independent of the ].


Gordon holds a 50% share in the ] ] club through WIN Corporation.<ref name="afr2017"/>
WIN has a 48% stake in ], previous holder of the ] television broadcast licence in ] and thus of Channel Nine Perth. The company is controlled by ], whose husband runs the ] company. She resisted a 1995 takeover bid by the WIN Corporation or the Perth station, which remained Sunraysia's only significant television broadcasting asset. In February 2007, PBL Media announced that it would acquire 100% of Sunraysia Television subsidiary ''Swan Television & Radio Broadcasters Pty Ltd'' for AU$136.4 million. On the 21st of April the board of Sunraysia Television endorsed WIN's revised offer of $163 million.
<ref>{{cite news | author = Sharples, Ben | title = WIN wins Perth station | work = ] | url = http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21593383-664,00.html | date = ]}}</ref>


In September 2014, it was reported that in early August 2024, Gordon retired from the boards of ] and private investment firm Birketu as well as 41 private companies associated with businesses owned by him. He will remain Birketu's "ultimate decision maker", while stepping back from daily management at WIN.<ref name="afr2024">{{Cite news |last=Buckingham-Jones |first=Sam |date=29 September 2024 |title=Billionaire Bruce Gordon retires from WIN as succession questions loom |url=https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/billionaire-bruce-gordon-retires-from-win-as-succession-questions-loom-20240923-p5kcre |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 September 2024 |newspaper=] |department=Media & marketing |publisher=Nine Publishing |location=Sydney}}</ref>
==Football==
Bruce Gordon had been believed to be ready to bankroll a Wollongong-based team in the ] ] 2008-2009 season if bids from either ] or ] had fallen over at the 11th hour. He was believed to have finally agreed in principle to finance an Illawarra team in the A-League. The potential franchise had been more than a year in the making, and while it had made significant progress in terms of planning, sponsorship and infrastructure, without Gordon's investment the bid had lacked any real chance of success. Gordon is no stranger to football - he also headed the consortium which owned the ] in the old NSL. The A-League speculation was more recently proven to be incorrect, to the point where Bruce Gordon stated publicly to the Illawarra Mercury, during the announcement of Win Corp's naming rights sponsorship of ] at ], that he held no interest in funding an A League club.<ref>http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/sport/soccer/billionaire-not-aleague-club-backer/1408490.aspx | Billionaire not A-League club backer]</ref> WIN owns 24% of the ] via a partnership with the ] Club. Win Corp, through ownership of WIN/9 TV stations has a vested interest in backing ], due primarily to their ] coverage of this football code. Gordon is also a keen Dragon's supporter, attending most of their games when in Australia.


==Obscurity== ==Personal life==
Gordon lives in ] with his second wife, Judith, with additional residences in ] and ].<ref name="afr2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.afr.com/business/media-and-marketing/tv/how-bruce-gordon-the-man-from-win-helped-catch-silvio-berlusconi-20150302-13sqe2 |title=How Bruce Gordon, the man from WIN, helped catch Silvio Berlusconi |work=] |date= 7 March 2015|access-date=23 June 2017 |author1=Chessell, James |author2=Totaro, Paolo }}</ref> Gordon has a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Genevieve.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chessell |first=James |date=5 August 2010 |title=Gordon's girl in the running for WIN television crown |work=news.com.au |url=https://www.news.com.au/finance/gordons-girl-in-the-running-for-win-television-crown/news-story/5f70c4fbacd64d3b7a7e3d1bd0f24af2}}</ref>
There has been no major independent biography of Gordon or study of WIN. Some insights are offered by reports of licence inquiries by the ] (ABA), available on its site, and in works dealing with competitors such as Packer, Murdoch and Bond.


=== Net worth ===
Bruce is married with 2 children, Andrew and Genevieve. He is reportedly fiercely protective of his children.
{{as of|2023|05}}, the '']'' assessed Gordon's ] at {{AUD}}1.30&nbsp;].<ref name="afr2023"/> Gordon is one of eleven living Australians who have appeared on every '']'', since it was first published in 1984.<ref name="afr2021"/><ref name="BRW2013-Thomson">{{cite journal|url=http://www.brw.com.au/p/lists/rich-200/2013/celebrating_years_of_the_rich_EnUWZtuD02H4jYBFx0e3MM|last=Thomson|first=James|date=22 May 2013|accessdate=22 May 2013|title=Celebrating 30 years of the Rich 200|journal=BRW Rich 200|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727170000/http://www.brw.com.au/p/lists/rich-200/2013/celebrating_years_of_the_rich_EnUWZtuD02H4jYBFx0e3MM|archive-date=27 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{columns-start}}
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2 | Year
! colspan=2 | '']''<br/>]
! colspan=2 | '']''<br/>{{nowrap|]}}
|-
! Rank
! ] ]
! Rank
! Net worth ]
|-
| 2014<ref name="BRW2014">{{cite journal |url=http://www.brw.com.au/p/lists/rich-200/2014/brw_rich_list_bruce_gordon_e9RYHKaJ7tFtzGca2Zd5lL |title=BRW Rich 200 list 2014: 34. Bruce Gordon |journal=] |date=27 June 2014 |accessdate=29 June 2014 |location=Sydney |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630103218/http://www.brw.com.au/p/lists/rich-200/2014/brw_rich_list_bruce_gordon_e9RYHKaJ7tFtzGca2Zd5lL |archive-date=30 June 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Forbes2014">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/australia-billionaires/list/|title=2014 Australia's 50 Richest|accessdate=30 June 2014|work=Forbes Asia|date=January 2014 }}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nts|34}}
| align="right" | $1.096&nbsp;]
| align="center" | {{nts|40}} {{gain}}
| align="right" | $0.700&nbsp;billion {{gain}}
|-
| 2015<ref name="BRW 2016"/><ref name="Forbes2015">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/australia-billionaires/list/#tab:overall|title=2015 Australia's 50 Richest|accessdate=10 June 2015|work=Forbes Asia|date=March 2015 }}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nts|46}} {{decrease}}
| align="right" | $1.060&nbsp;billion {{decrease}}
| align="center" | {{nts|41}} {{decrease}}
| align="right" | $0.720&nbsp;billion {{gain}}
|-
| 2016<ref name="BRW 2016">{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-26/brw-rich-list-topped-by-harry-triguboff/7448044 |title=BRW rich list topped by Harry Triguboff, Gina Rinehart slips to fourth |work=ABC News |access-date=26 May 2016 |date=26 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="Forbes2016">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/australia-billionaires/list/#tab:overall|title=2016 Australia's 50 Richest|accessdate=9 June 2016|work=Forbes Asia|date=January 2016 }}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nts|54}} {{decrease}}
| align="right" | $0.990&nbsp;billion {{decrease}}
| align="center" | {{nts|46}} {{decrease}}
| align="right" | $0.570&nbsp;billion {{decrease}}
|-
| 2017<ref name="afr2017">{{cite news |url=http://www.afr.com/leadership/afr-lists/rich-list/financial-review-rich-list-2017-20170525-gwcvr6 |editor=Stensholt, John |title=Financial Review Rich List 2017 |work=] |date=25 May 2017 |accessdate=8 June 2017 }}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nts|107}} {{decrease}}
| align="right" | $0.629&nbsp;billion {{decrease}}
| align="center" | n/a
| align="right" | ''not listed''
|-
| 2018<ref name="afr2018">{{cite web|url=http://www.afr.com/brand/afr-magazine/rich-list-overview-20180413-h0yqo5|title=2018 AFR Rich List: Who are Australia's richest people?|work=The Australian Financial Review|date=25 May 2018|last=Stensholt|first=John|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref>
| align="center" | 113 {{decrease}}
| align="right" | $0.702&nbsp;billion {{gain}}
| align="center" |
| align="right" |
|-
| 2019<ref name="afr2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-wealthiest-people-revealed-20190529-p51sj0|title=Australia's 200 richest people revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 May 2019|last=Bailey|first=Michael|accessdate=31 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="afr2019-im">{{cite news |url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6190631/where-win-corps-bruce-gordon-ranked-on-afr-rich-list/# |title=Bruce Gordon ranked 134 on Australian Financial Review's Rich List |work=] |date=30 May 2019 |accessdate=29 September 2019 }}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nts|134}} {{decrease}}
| align="right" | $0.728&nbsp;billion {{increase}}
| align="center" |
| align="right" |
|-
| 2020<ref name="afr2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/the-10-richest-australians-revealed-20201028-p569c7|url-access=subscription|title=The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed|work=]|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 October 2020|author1=Bailey, Michael|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne|accessdate=31 October 2020}}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|111}} {{gain}}}}
| align="right" | $0.892&nbsp;billion {{gain}}
| align="center" |
| align="right" |
|-
| 2021<ref name="afr2021">{{cite news |author1=Bailey, Michael |author2=Sprague, Julie-anne |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20210526-p57vfr |title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed |work=] |date=27 May 2021 |access-date=28 May 2021}}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|123}} {{down}}}}
| align="right" | $0.870&nbsp;billion {{down}}
| align="center" |
| align="right" |
|-
| 2022
| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|110}} {{up}}}}
| align="right" | $1.30&nbsp;billion {{up}}
| align="center" |
| align="right" |
|-
| 2023<ref name="afr2023">{{cite news |author1=Bailey, Michael |author2=Sprague, Julie-anne |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20230523-p5dapa |title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed |work=] |date=26 May 2023 |access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref>
| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|133}} {{down}}}}
| align="right" | $1.07&nbsp;billion {{down}}
| align="center" |
| align="right" |
|}

{{column}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="2"|<small>Legend</small>
|-
!<small> Icon</small>
!<small> Description</small>
|-
|{{steady}}
|<small>Has not changed from the previous year</small>
|-
|{{profit}}
|<small>Has increased from the previous year</small>
|-
|{{loss}}
|<small>Has decreased from the previous year</small>
|}
{{columns-end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Australia}}
*]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon,Bruce}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Bruce}}
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Latest revision as of 22:51, 29 September 2024

Australian businessman (born 1929)

Bruce Gordon
Born (1929-02-04) 4 February 1929 (age 95)
Surry Hills, New South Wales
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Businessman; media owner; investor
Known forOwner of WIN Group
SpouseJudith Gordon

Bruce Gordon (born 4 February 1929 in Surry Hills, New South Wales) is an Australian businessman. He is the owner of the Australian television network, WIN Television through his ownership of WIN Corporation, the largest shareholder of Network 10 & the largest shareholder of the Nine Network, and holds a significant stake in Nine Entertainment Co.

Career

From humble beginning, Gordon juggled fruit to lure customers into his father's street-side fruit stall. He continued to hone his magic skills into his 20s and gained his first performance at Sydney's Tivoli circuit theatre; later progressing onto management of the theatre. During this period he got to know Rupert Murdoch, Sir Frank Packer and his sons, Kerry and Clyde, and Bruce Gyngell.

In 1962, Gordon was appointed the Australasian sales executive for Desilu Productions, which was sold to Gulf and Western, which renamed the studio Paramount Television. Gordon worked as a programming executive for Paramount in Hollywood for thirty years.

Gordon gained control of Television Wollongong Transmission Ltd (later rebadged as WIN TV) in 1979 from Murdoch. He then expanded WIN Television's operations during the 1990s, buying out the other shareholders in 1991 after buying two licences in Queensland and Crawford Productions. By the end of the decade WIN had licences and transmitters in all Australian states and mainland territories (except NT).

Gordon holds a 50% share in the NRL St. George Illawarra Dragons club through WIN Corporation.

In September 2014, it was reported that in early August 2024, Gordon retired from the boards of WIN Corporation and private investment firm Birketu as well as 41 private companies associated with businesses owned by him. He will remain Birketu's "ultimate decision maker", while stepping back from daily management at WIN.

Personal life

Gordon lives in Bermuda with his second wife, Judith, with additional residences in Sydney and Monaco. Gordon has a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Genevieve.

Net worth

As of May 2023, the Australian Financial Review assessed Gordon's net worth at A$1.30 billion. Gordon is one of eleven living Australians who have appeared on every Rich List, since it was first published in 1984.

Year Financial Review
Rich List
Forbes
Australia's 50 richest
Rank Net worth A$ Rank Net worth US$
2014 34 $1.096 billion 40 Increase $0.700 billion Increase
2015 46 Decrease $1.060 billion Decrease 41 Decrease $0.720 billion Increase
2016 54 Decrease $0.990 billion Decrease 46 Decrease $0.570 billion Decrease
2017 107 Decrease $0.629 billion Decrease n/a not listed
2018 113 Decrease $0.702 billion Increase
2019 134 Decrease $0.728 billion Increase
2020 111 Increase $0.892 billion Increase
2021 123 Decrease $0.870 billion Decrease
2022 110 Increase $1.30 billion Increase
2023 133 Decrease $1.07 billion Decrease
Legend
Icon Description
Steady Has not changed from the previous year
Increase Has increased from the previous year
Decrease Has decreased from the previous year

See also

References

  1. ^ Chessell, James; Totaro, Paolo (7 March 2015). "How Bruce Gordon, the man from WIN, helped catch Silvio Berlusconi". Financial Review. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  2. Windsor, Georgina (11 February 2010). "WIN Corp owner Bruce Gordon sues Nine over live-streaming of TV channels". The Australian. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. ^ Stensholt, John, ed. (25 May 2017). "Financial Review Rich List 2017". Financial Review. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  4. ^ "BRW Rich 200 list 2014: 34. Bruce Gordon". BRW. Sydney. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  5. Buckingham-Jones, Sam (29 September 2024). "Billionaire Bruce Gordon retires from WIN as succession questions loom". Media & marketing. Australian Financial Review. Sydney: Nine Publishing. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  6. Chessell, James (5 August 2010). "Gordon's girl in the running for WIN television crown". news.com.au.
  7. ^ Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (26 May 2023). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  8. ^ Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (27 May 2021). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  9. Thomson, James (22 May 2013). "Celebrating 30 years of the Rich 200". BRW Rich 200. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  10. "2014 Australia's 50 Richest". Forbes Asia. January 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  11. ^ "BRW rich list topped by Harry Triguboff, Gina Rinehart slips to fourth". ABC News. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  12. "2015 Australia's 50 Richest". Forbes Asia. March 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  13. "2016 Australia's 50 Richest". Forbes Asia. January 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  14. Stensholt, John (25 May 2018). "2018 AFR Rich List: Who are Australia's richest people?". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  15. Bailey, Michael (30 May 2019). "Australia's 200 richest people revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  16. "Bruce Gordon ranked 134 on Australian Financial Review's Rich List". Illawarra Mercury. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  17. Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (30 October 2020). "The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed". The Australian Financial Review. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
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