Gina Rinehart dishes out random $100k Christmas bonuses
Australia’s richest person has splashed the cash this Christmas, randomly awarding 10 Roy Hill workers a $100,000 bonus.
Mining magnate Gina Rinehart was said to have told employees last week to “stand by for an important announcement”, a source told a Perth radio station on Monday.
A caller said that the billionaire “announced the fact that she was going to call 10 names out of a hat”.
“Those names would each receive a $100,000 Christmas bonus,” the caller said.
An anonymous Roy Hill employee jumped in on Tuesday, confirming that the rumour was legitimate.
They added that one of the winners had only been at the firm, which is controlled by Rinehart’s private company Hancock Prospecting, for three months. This left some long-term employees annoyed.
Roy Hill was sought after for comments but has so far stayed quiet.
The Pilbara operation is a major money-maker for Rinehart, delivering a net profit of $3.2bn for the year to June 30.
The figure after tax was 28% weaker compared with 12 months earlier, with the shortfall being attributed to falling iron ore prices.
Rinehart, who was born in Perth, is Australia’s richest person with a net worth of $32.6 billion.
Image: Getty