6. Rod Drury: Net Worth $1.3 Billion
Rod Drury’s net worth of 1.3 billion stems from his entrepreneurial prowess in the tech industry. As the founder of Xero, a leading accounting software company, Drury has revolutionized the way businesses manage their finances.
Rodney Kenneth Drury (born 1966) is a New Zealand technology entrepreneur, predominately known for his association with accounting software company, Xero. Drury was CEO of Xero until 2018, after founding the company in 2006.
Drury made his initial fortune through Glazier Systems, a New Zealand software development and consulting company, which was sold in 1999. He subsequently established Context Connect and an email technology company called Aftermail. He is a former director of Trade Me, and was involved in the now-defunct Pacific Fibre project.
5. Todd Family: Net Worth $1.3 Billion
With a net worth of 1.3 billion, the Todd family has solidified their status as key players in New Zealand’s business landscape. Their diverse portfolio includes investments in energy, healthcare, and real estate.
Todd Corporation is owned by the Todd family in New Zealand. The Todd Family is involved in the extraction and refinement of petroleum products. Todd’s has also assisted in the assembly of a wide range of automobiles as well as light and large commercial vehicles. The Todd Corporation, located in Wellington, New Zealand, is a big private New Zealand firm worth $3.3 billion that is owned and controlled by the Todd family. Henry Tait, chairman of the board, and Jon Young, Group Chief Executive Officer, currently lead the company.
In addition, the company currently employs 800 people in 20 locations across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. This group contains eight members of the Senior Management Team and nine members of the Board of Directors. Todd Corporation is thought to have started in Central Otago in 1885 when Scottish immigrant Charles Todd formed and operated either a wool scouring business or a country goods store. After the company began importing motor vehicles in 1929, it evolved into a car sales and servicing business operated by his son and namesake Charles Todd.
4. Sir Peter Robert Jackson: Net Worth $1.5 Billion (2024 Top 10 Richest People in New Zealand)
As a world-renowned filmmaker, Peter Jackson’s net worth of 1.5 billion reflects his immense contributions to the entertainment industry. Known for directing blockbuster hits like “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Jackson has garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success.
Sir Peter Robert Jackson ONZ KNZM (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) and the Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), both of which are adapted from the novels of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien. Other notable films include the critically lauded drama Heavenly Creatures (1994), the horror comedy The Frighteners (1996), the epic monster remake film King Kong (2005), the World War I documentary film They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) and the documentary The Beatles: Get Back (2021). He is the fourth-highest-grossing film director of all-time, his films having made over $6.5 billion worldwide.
Jackson began his career with the “splatstick” horror comedy Bad Taste (1987) and the black comedy Meet the Feebles (1989) before filming the zombie comedy Braindead (1992). He shared a nomination for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with his partner Fran Walsh for Heavenly Creatures, which brought him to mainstream prominence in the film industry. Jackson has been awarded three Academy Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. His other awards include three BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmy Awards and four Saturn Awards among others.
His production company is WingNut Films, and his most regular collaborators are co-writers and producers Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Jackson was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002. He was later knighted (as a Knight Companion of the order) by Sir Anand Satyanand, the Governor-General of New Zealand, at a ceremony in Wellington in April 2010. In December 2014, Jackson was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.