Mining Billionaire Gina Rinehart Is Swimming Australia's Largest Private Benefactor

Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest person, attended the national swimming trials in Sydney "to see what her money was buying," according to Nicole Jeffery of THE AUSTRALIAN. She "has become the biggest private benefactor" for the sport the country has seen. Converted to the sport when her own children were involved in Perth, Rinehart "has come to its rescue twice in the past three years." After the public criticism the national team endured following a slump in fortunes at the London Olympics, Rinehart "contacted Swimming Australia to ask whether she could help." First she agreed to partner the national body in creating the A$10M ($7.6M) Georgia Hope Foundation, "which directly supports developing swimmers." Then this year, through her company Hancock Prospecting, "she became the major sponsor of the national championships" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 4/10).