{{Short description|Australian businesswoman and philanthropist}} {{Distinguish||text=the American soprano, Judith Nelson}} {{Use Australian English|date=November 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Judith Neilson | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM|size=100}} | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living people supply only the year with {{Birth year and age|YYYY}} unless the exact date is already widely published, as per WP:DOB. For people who have died, use {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}}. --> | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --> | death_place = | nationality = | other_names = | occupation = {{ubl|Businesswoman|Philanthropist}} | spouse = {{marriage|Kerr Neilson||2015|end=div.}} | children = 2 | years_active = | known_for = White Rabbit Gallery | notable_works = }} '''Judith Neilson''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} is an Australian businesswoman and philanthropist with a passion for visual arts. Neilson is the founder of the White Rabbit Gallery in Sydney. She is a significant shareholder in Platinum Asset Management, a company co-founded by her former husband, Kerr Neilson.
== Philanthropy == Neilson's financial status<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Judith Neilson|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/judith-neilson/|access-date=2020-11-26|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref> has supported her philanthropic initiatives, exemplified through the establishment of the {{AUD}}100 million Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=http://judithneilsonprojects.com.au/project/jninstitute|title=JN Institute|website=Judith Neilson Projects}}</ref> Situated in Sydney, the institute fosters collaboration with international journalists and media organisations and encourages independent quality journalism.<ref name="auto4"/> The institute is overseen by a board of directors, international advisory council and staff to manage the programs and operations.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://jninstitute.org/about/|title=About | Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas|website=The Judith Neilson Institute|access-date=26 November 2020|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302212959/https://jninstitute.org/about/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2015 Neilson endowed a Chair of Architecture at the University of New South Wales to develop housing solutions for displaced individuals, such as climate refugees or those affected by natural disaster or conflict.<ref name="auto1"/> In 2017, Neilson initiated the Judith Neilson Chair of Contemporary Art at the University of New South Wales in addition to creating a Scholarship in Contemporary Art at the University of Sydney.<ref name="auto1"/>
Neilson is also the founder of the Neilson Foundation, which sponsors chaitable and development works in Australia and globally.https://www.neilson.org.au/
===White Rabbit Gallery=== {{main|White Rabbit Gallery}} In 2009, Kerr and Neilson opened the White Rabbit Gallery in {{NSWcity|Chippendale}}, Sydney to display their collection of artworks that they have acquired over the previous decades.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s2724467.htm |title=White Rabbit Gallery |work=ABC Arts Online |publisher=ABC TV |location=Australia |date=2 November 2009 |accessdate=18 June 2012 |format=streaming video }}</ref> The gallery showcases and pays particular tribute to 21st century Chinese modern art, as a reflection of Judith's personal inclination towards Asian art culture. This followed Neilson's first trips to Beijing in the late 1990s, where she was exposed to such art.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=https://judithneilsonprojects.com.au/project/white-rabbit-gallery |title=White Rabbit Gallery |website=Judith Neilson Projects}}</ref> The White Rabbit Gallery is today one of the most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} Neilson regularly travels to both China and Taiwan to augment the collection that includes more than 2,000 works by almost 700 artists.<ref name="auto"/> In 2016 ''The Art Life'' list Judith Neilson as one of the 50 most powerful people in Australian art in recognition of her donations, with her former husband, Kerr, to philanthropic art projects since 2007 and the opening of the White Rabbit Gallery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://theartlife.com.au/2015/the-power-trip-2016-the-50-most-powerful-people-in-australian-art/|title=The Power Trip 2016: The 50 Most Powerful People in Australian Art |work=The Art Life |date=2016 }}</ref> Since 2015, the White Rabbit Gallery has been funded solely by Judith Neilson.<ref name="auto"/>
=== Awards and recognition === Neilson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2016 for significant service to the arts through the museums and galleries sector, and as a benefactor of cultural and educational organisations.<ref name="AM">{{Cite It's an Honour|ausawardid=1152821|date=26 January 2016|recipient=Mrs Judith NEILSON|award=Member of the Order of Australia|postnominal=AM|citation=For significant service to the arts through the museums and galleries sector, and as a benefactor of cultural and educational organisations.|postscript=|accessdate=26 November 2020}}</ref> She was named one of the ''Australian Financial Review's'' 100 Women of Influence in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tattersall|first=Hanna|date=2018-09-03|title=The Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence 2018 revealed|url=https://www.afr.com/women-of-influence/100-woi-announcement-20180829-h14ogg|access-date=2020-11-26|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== Neilson and her former husband, Kerr, divorced in 2015. They have two children.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/billionaire-kerr-neilson-to-hand-over-3b-slice-of-empire-to-wife-after-messy-divorce/story-fni0cvc9-1227348485304 |title=Billionaire Kerr Neilson to hand over $3bn slice of empire to wife after messy divorce |date=10 May 2015 |newspaper=The Sunday Telegraph |location=Australia |accessdate=12 May 2015}}</ref>
=== Net worth === Since 2015, and her divorce from her billionaire husband Kerr Neilson, Judith Neilson was included on'' Forbes’'' list of Australian billionaires.<ref name="BRW2015"/> Neilson was ranked number 2057 on ''Forbes’'' billionaires list in 2019. In 2020 it was the first year, since 2015, that Neilson was not included on the list.<ref name=":0" /> According to the ''BRW'', in 2015 Neilson debuted on the Rich 200 with a net worth of {{AUD}}1.55 billion.<ref name="BRW2015"/> Renamed as the ''Financial Review'' Rich List, {{as of|2025|05|lc=on}} Neilson's net worth was assessed as {{AUD}}1.23 billion.<ref name="afr2025"/> Her former husband's net worth has been reported separately since 2015.<ref name="BRW2015"/>
{| class="wikitable" ! rowspan=2 | Year ! colspan=2 | ''Financial Review''<br>Rich List ! colspan=2 | ''Forbes''<br>Australia's 50 Richest |- ! Rank ! Net worth ($A) ! Rank ! Net worth ($US) |- | 2015{{ref|1|[note 1]}}<ref name="BRW2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.brw.com.au/lists/interactives/entity.html?entity=judith-neilson&edition=32&questions=819,820&sort=1,asc&page=0|title=Rich 200: Judith Neilson |work=BRW |date=May 2015 |accessdate=12 June 2015 }}</ref> | align="center" | | align="right" | $1.55 billion {{gain}} | align="center" | ''not listed'' | align="right" | n/a |- | 2016<ref name="BRW2016">{{cite news |url=http://www.afr.com/leadership/brw-lists/brw-rich-200-list-2016-20160526-gp4ejn|title=BRW Rich 200 List 2016 |work=Financial Review |location=Australia |editor=Stensholt, John |date=27 May 2016 |accessdate=9 June 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Forbes2016">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/australia-billionaires/list/#tab:overall|title=2016 Australia's 50 Richest|accessdate=9 June 2016|work=Forbes Asia|date=January 2016 }}</ref> | align="center" | | align="right" | | align="center" | ''not listed'' | align="right" | n/a |- | 2017<ref name="Forbes2017">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2017/11/01/australias-richest-2017-mining-for-dollars/#4d3806661d24|title=Australia's Richest 2017: Country's Wealthiest Continue Mining For Dollars |accessdate=28 September 2019 |work=Forbes Asia|date=1 November 2017 }}</ref><ref name="SMH2017">{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/gina-rinehart-tops-forbes-australia-rich-list-with-215b-20171102-gzdklx.html |title=Gina Rinehart tops Forbes Australia Rich List with $21.5b |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=2 November 2017 |access-date=28 September 2019 |agency=AAP }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Froelicher, Christian |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/rich-and-counting-australia-s-33-billionaires |title=Rich and counting: Australia's 33 billionaires |work=SBS World News |location=Australia |date=23 January 2018 |access-date=28 September 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aussie-toymaker-manny-stul-debuts-in-forbes-billionaires-list/news-story/68670590e64cb5f9d92a1ea3883344ca |title=Nocookies |work=The Australian |accessdate=2017-06-26 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | align="center" | | align="right" | $1.34 billion | align="center" | {{nts|26}} {{gain}} | align="right" | |- | 2018<ref name="afr2018">{{cite web|url=http://www.afr.com/brand/afr-magazine/rich-list-overview-20180413-h0yqo5|title=2018 AFR Rich List: Who are Australia's richest people?|work=The Australian Financial Review|date=25 May 2018|editor=Stensholt, John|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref> | align="center" | {{nts|36}} {{increase}} | align="right" | $1.77 billion {{increase}} | align="center" | | align="right" | |- | 2019<ref name="afr2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-wealthiest-people-revealed-20190529-p51sj0|title=Australia's 200 richest people revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 May 2019|last=Bailey|first=Michael|accessdate=31 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Forbes2019">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/australia-billionaires/list/#tab:overall|title=2019 Australia's 50 Richest|accessdate=28 September 2019|work=Forbes Asia|date=January 2019 }}</ref> | align="center" | {{nts|65}} {{decrease}} | align="right" | $1.35 billion {{decrease}} | align="center" | {{nts|37}} {{decrease}} | align="right" | $1.02 billion {{gain}} |- | 2020<ref name="afr2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/the-10-richest-australians-revealed-20201028-p569c7|url-access=subscription|title=The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 October 2020|author1=Bailey, Michael|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne|accessdate=31 October 2020}}</ref> | align="center" | {{nts|69}} {{decrease}} | align="right" | $1.44 billion {{gain}} | align="center" | | align="right" | |- | 2021<ref name="afr2021">{{cite news |author1=Bailey, Michael |author2=Sprague, Julie-anne |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20210526-p57vfr |title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed |work=Australian Financial Review |date=27 May 2021 |access-date=28 May 2021}}</ref> | align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|71}} {{decrease}}}} | align="right" | $1.55 billion {{increase}} | align="center" | | align="right" | |- | 2022 | align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|98}} {{down}}}} | align="right" | $1.40 billion {{down}} | align="center" | | align="right" | |- | 2023<ref name="afr2023">{{cite news |author1=Bailey, Michael |author2=Sprague, Julie-anne |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20230523-p5dapa |title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed |work=Australian Financial Review |date=26 May 2023 |access-date=6 June 2023}}</ref> | align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|99}} {{down}}}} | align="right" | $1.43 billion {{up}} | align="center" | | align="right" | |- | 2024<ref name="afr2024">{{cite news |author1=Redrup, Yolanda |author2=Bailey, Michael |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20240521-p5jfe4 |title=Australia's wealthiest 200 now control $625b |work=Australian Financial Review |date=30 May 2024 |access-date=18 September 2024}}</ref> | align="center" | | align="right" | $1.20 billion {{down}} | align="center" | | align="right" | |- | 2025<ref name="afr2025">{{cite news |author1=Redrup, Yolanda |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-wealthiest-200-revealed-fortunes-blow-past-667b-20250509-p5lxxb |title=Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed, fortunes blow past $667b |work=Australian Financial Review |date=30 May 2025 |access-date=31 May 2025 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> | align="center" | {{nts|134}} | align="right" | $1.23 billion {{up}} | align="center" | | align="right" | |}
{| class="wikitable" !colspan="2"|<small>Legend</small> |- !<small> Icon</small> !<small> Description</small> |- |{{steady}} |<small>Has not changed from the previous year</small> |- |{{profit}} |<small>Has increased from the previous year</small> |- |{{loss}} |<small>Has decreased from the previous year</small> |}
;Notes *{{note|1|[note 1]}}: Prior to 2015, net worth was reported in the name of Kerr Neilson only. From 2015, net worth was separated with individual listings for Kerr Neilson and for Judith Neilson.
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://jninstitute.org/ Judith Neilson Institute] * [http://whiterabbitcollection.org/ White Rabbit Gallery]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neilson, Judith}} Category:Australian businesspeople Category:Australian billionaires Category:Australian philanthropists Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:Living people