This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Women Are Making Their Mark On The Young Rich List, But There's A Way To Go

As they get younger, the news gets even better.
Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams.
Supplied
Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams.

Eight women have made Australia's BRW Young Rich List this year, which names the top 100 earners in the country under 40. This number (yes, eight) is the same as last year, but women are yet to climb into the top 10 names on the list.

Atlassian co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar oustripped everyone else on the list with a combined wealth of $4.68 billion, and its not the first time they've made the cut. The tech duo are followed by Dave Greiner and Ben Richardson with a combined wealth of $543 million and Paul Blackburne, who is worth $483 million.

The top earning woman is Cyan Ta'eed, the co-founder and executive director of Envato and founder of New Day Box, who is worth $184 million.

At first glance, there are more men earning big bucks at the top of the list than women. But there's also some really good news.

Some of the highest earning Aussie women are in their early to late twenties -- and run their own start-ups.

"Women in Australia and particularly young women are the best educated in the world and they are the best educated in all of our history as well," Rae Cooper, Associate Dean at The University of Sydney Business School, told The Huffington Post Australia.

"They are incredibly ambitious about their careers and how successful they'll be."

One of the youngest Aussies on the list is a woman; Adelaide-based fitness trainer and entrepreneur Kayla Itsines, 25, who has earned $46 million with her fiance and business partner Tobi Pearce.

Melanie Perkins, who co-founded graphic design site Canva after growing frustrated with design tasks while studying at 19, is also one of the top five earning women, with a combined wealth of $124 million.

Here are the top earning women and men in Australia's Young BRW Rich List

Top Five Women

Cyan Ta'eed: $184 million (13*)

Melanie Perkins: $124 million (21*)

Erica Baxter: $79 million (30)

Kayla Itsines: $46 million (51*)

Erin Deerings: $38 million (70)

*shared wealth

Top Five Men

Mike Cannon-Brookes & Scott Farquhar: $4.68 billion

Dave Greiner & Ben Richardson: $543 million

Paul Blackburne: $483 million

"More and more women every year, in numbers and also proportionately, are going out and founding their own businesses," Cooper said.

So the future's looking bright.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.