RETAILING, PROPERTY
Worth: $254 million
THERE MAY a retail downturn looming but it hasn't affected Rod Duke's Briscoe and Rebel Sports groups. Latest quarterly results showed sales and profits up 10% against the prevailing retailing trend. "Business is good, we're happy," he said. The firming share price means that Duke's 75% holding has increased in value again after losing about $100 million in value a couple of years ago. This corporate shopkeeper is looking forward to opening new Briscoe and Rebel Sports stores in New Plymouth, among seven openings planned for coming months.
Duke also owns properties but it's hard to track them down because he uses nominee companies to stop nosy researchers finding out about them, suggesting he is worth considerably more than his Briscoe shareholding. "You would too, wouldn't you mate?" says the former Ocker, who came over this side of the Tasman in the 1980s. He and his wife enjoy golf and he has a large wine cellar to complement the gourmet recipes his wife likes to prepare.
2005: $220 million
