Clive Palmer’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2019 | $1.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $2.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $3.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $2.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $4.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $3.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $4 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
Clive Palmer’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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Clive Palmer has an estimated net worth of $4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Clive Palmer profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.8 billion in 2019.
Clive Palmer is an Australian businessman best known for mining and related assets. He started Mineralogy in 1984 and built holdings in iron ore, thermal coal, and hydrocarbons. He also owns resort and golf businesses. Outside business, he founded the Palmer United Party in 2013 and served as the MP for Fairfax from 2013 to 2016. Forbes says he became a billionaire in 2019, with most of his wealth tied to mining.
A big part of Palmer’s fortune came from Mineralogy and long-held resource assets. Forbes says his wealth jumped after a court ordered iron ore royalty payments to his company to resume. He also bought Queensland Nickel in 2009, which ran a nickel-and-cobalt refinery, though the company collapsed in 2016. Alongside mining, he has owned resort properties and golf courses. Forbes put his net worth at $4 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026.
How Clive Palmer built his wealth
Palmer made his name through mining, especially iron ore. He launched Mineralogy in 1984 and used it to build a portfolio that includes iron ore, thermal coal, and hydrocarbon assets. Wikipedia also notes coal and nickel holdings, along with resort businesses. His wealth is closely tied to these long-running resource interests, with Mineralogy standing out as the core company behind his fortune and public profile.
His business interests have stretched beyond iron ore alone. In 2008, he bought Waratah Coal. In 2009, he bought Queensland Nickel after BHP was set to close the refinery. Forbes says that business operated a nickel-and-cobalt refinery, but it collapsed in 2016. Palmer has also owned several resort and golf properties, including the Coolum resort, where a dinosaur attraction opened in 2013. Those assets added to his business footprint outside mining.
What moved the Forbes estimate
Forbes first counted Palmer as a billionaire in 2019, when it estimated his fortune at $1.8 billion. That rose to $2.8 billion in 2020 and $3.8 billion in 2021. Forbes says the main reason was a court order that restarted a flow of iron ore royalties to Mineralogy. Those royalty payments were important because they lifted the value of the mining assets at the center of his wealth.
The Forbes estimate then fell to $2.1 billion in 2022 and $2 billion in 2023 before jumping to $4.3 billion in 2024. Forbes later put Palmer at $3.4 billion in 2025 and $4 billion in 2026. Forbes notes that in September 2025, his case tied to a proposed iron ore project was dismissed and he was ordered to pay $13 million. Even with that, mining remained the main driver of his wealth.
Career and money timeline
- 1984
Started Mineralogy, the mining company at the center of his fortune.
- 2008
Bought Waratah Coal, expanding his coal interests.
- 2009
Bought Queensland Nickel and its nickel-and-cobalt refinery.
- 2013
Founded the Palmer United Party and became Fairfax MP.
- 2016
Queensland Nickel collapsed, ending operations at the refinery.
- 2019
Forbes said he became a billionaire after royalty payments resumed.
- 2025
A case over a proposed iron ore project was dismissed in September.
Clive Palmer net worth FAQ
What is Clive Palmer's net worth?
Clive Palmer's net worth is an estimated $4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Clive Palmer profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Clive Palmer get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Mining.
Is Clive Palmer a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Clive Palmer is worth $4 billion.
How has Clive Palmer's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $1.8 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $4 billion (October 20, 2026).
What is Clive Palmer’s main source of wealth?
Forbes ties his fortune mainly to mining. Mineralogy, iron ore royalties, and other resource assets are the key pieces.
Did Clive Palmer make money only from mining?
No. Wikipedia says he has also owned resort and golf businesses. Still, Forbes shows mining as the main base of his wealth.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Clive Palmer profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Clive Palmer profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Clive Palmer profile (April 7, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Clive Palmer profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Clive Palmer profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Clive Palmer profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Clive Palmer profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Clive Palmer profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Clive Palmer profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Clive Palmer (accessed October 21, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Jwmcdonald81, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.