Richard Farleigh (born 9 November 1960) is an Australian private investor. He is currently a member of the Business Review Weekly Rich 200 list, a list of the 200 wealthiest Australian individuals.
Born under the name "Richard Smith" (after his father, despite his being the second born son) in Kyabram, Victoria, Farleigh was one of eleven siblings. His father, a labourer and sheep shearer who moved around Australia with his wife and children, was...
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Richard Farleigh (born 9 November 1960) is an Australian private investor. He is currently a member of the Business Review Weekly Rich 200 list, a list of the 200 wealthiest Australian individuals.
Born under the name "Richard Smith" (after his father, despite his being the second born son) in Kyabram, Victoria, Farleigh was one of eleven siblings. His father, a labourer and sheep shearer who moved around Australia with his wife and children, was tritely reported to be a violent alcoholic, although this hardly reflects the complex living situation of the young Smith children. When Farleigh was aged two, he and his siblings were taken into care and sent to foster homes. By the age of five, he was considered "backward" but despite this went on to excel later in life at mathematics and chess, winning a scholarship to read economics at the University of New South Wales.
His business skills took a while to develop, however. He refers to himself as the "counter argument" to "all those...
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