Southern rich listers learn about their wealth
Thursday, 28 July 2016
Alan Pye the 'spud king' of South Canterbury is worth $350 million in this year's National Business Review's rich list – $150m more than last year.
'They used to have me on the list at $200m but I was dropped off last year for some unknown reason. Now I've made a comeback at $350m'.
Pye is one of the more unusual multi-millionaires to be included in the 'bible of wealth' published on Thursday – happiest when driving a combine harvester on one of his many farms.
For an entrepreneur who says he seldom sells anything, Pye did quite well 18 months ago when he disposed of his $100m shareholding in one of the country's largest dairy enterprises, Dairy Holdings.
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'I guess you could say I've had a couple of wins lately,' Pye said.
So how wealthy does he think he is?
'It's sort of hard to know. It depends how things are going. I told the reporter who rang me it could be $400m or it could be $100m, but probably closer to $300m.'
The Pye family fortune straddles the Tasman with sons in Australia who supply tonnes of vegetables from their farms there.
BUILDER 'GONE BACKWARDS'
Former Christchurch builder turned property investor John Butterfield spends most of his time in Fiji these days but was back in town this week and interested to learn he was worth $75m.
'I was worth $80m last year. I've gone backwards.
'I bought the Smith City site last year and along with South City Shopping Centre I'm now the largest property owner in Christchurch with about 50,000 square metres of retail space,' Butterfield said.
Butterfield said he was seldom approached by people asking for money as a result of his rich-list status, 'except my mates'.
He did not think banks took much notice of the rich list.
'I never have trouble borrowing money, I've always paid it back.'
ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY
Central Christchurch property investor Antony Gough learned his family members were collectively worth $350m.
'We share the same surname but I have no idea what Ben (a wider family member) is up to and my brother Harcourt is overseas and so is my sister Avenal.'
Gough said his stalled central Christchurch entertainment development had hit 'banking thresholds' but would get going again.
'Rome wasn't built in a day.'
No one asks Gough for money as a result of being on the rich list. 'There wouldn't be much point. I might end up like one of those poor people on the sidewalk yet,' he said.
WHO ELSE MADE THE LIST?
Other South Islanders on the list include Dunedin's elite – Arrow International co-founder Ron Anderson of Dunedin ($120m), media magnates Sir Julian and Nick Smith ($75m) and Sir Clifford Skeggs ($175m).
Queenstown's richest include tourism entrepreneur Sir John Davies ($115m), investor Barry Thomas ($100m), and Sir Eion Edgar ($130m).
Invercargill contributes the Richardson family ($295m), while from the top of the South Island is Blenheim wine maker Peter Yealands ($125m) and the Talley family ($350m).
Other Cantabrians on the list include property investor and developer Philip Carter ($200m), Meadow Mushrooms founder Philip Burdon ($85m), Arrow International founder Bob Foster ($120m), Ryman co-founder Kevin Hickman ($400m) and fellow founder John Ryder ($75m), Scenic Hotel owners Earl and Lani Hagaman ($190m), while the combined Stewart family holding is estimated at $330m.
Businessman Humphry Rolleston ($70m) complained the details about his company directorships were out of date and he did not think the report on him was informative.
The McVicar family appears for a second year at $85m, and property developer Tim Glasson is on the list at $80m.