Nicole cruises on to the rich list with $122 million

Divorce has turned the actress Nicole Kidman into one of Australia's richest women, while the media and tractor baron Kerry Stokes has joined the nation's exclusive 10-member billionaire club, according to BRW magazine's annual Rich 200.

The settlement terms of Kidman's divorce from Tom Cruise remain confidential, but BRW Rich 200 editor Robert Skeffington said the magazine had put her value at a "very conservative" $112 million.

Mr Stokes is worth $1.2 billion, up from $875 million last year, but Kerry Packer easily remains on top of the list, though his fortune declined for a second year in a succession.

He was $300 million down on last year's value, but still worth an impressive $5.9 billion.

The collapses of One.Tel and HIH saw Jodee Rich, Brad Keeling and Rodney Adler lose their places on the list. Remnants from the 2000 dot.com boom, such as Sausage's Steve Outrim and Open Telecommunication's Wayne Passlow, also fell from glory.

The main theme of this year's list was that most of the rich got richer. The total wealth held by the richest 200 Australians rose 7.4 per cent, from $60.42 billion to $64.88 billion.

When family fortunes are added, the total is $76.2 billion.

"It's been a very good year to be very rich," Skeffington said.

"Looking at the companies where money has been made, it is clear that they are substantial businesses that will endure, rather than the dot.coms, many of which flared brightly only to die quite quickly."

The highest ranking newcomer was transport tycoon Peter Gunn, who, credited with $450 million, is listed as the 36th richest Australia.

He has worked in the transport industry for 50 years and since the float of FreightCorp and National Rail his wealth has grown rapidly.

Mr Gunn and his fellow directors of Toll Holdings, Paul Little and Mark and Peter Rowsthorn, have doubled their wealth since 1999.

"Gunn is one those businessmen who has been largely ignored over the years, but this year we went far further down shareholders lists and his name stuck out," Skeffington said.

Other newcomers are the Port Lincoln tuna fisherman and property owner Sam Sarin ($250 million), the head of Philip Morris, Geoff Bible ($120 million), Sydney hotel entrepreneur Kim Maloney ($120 million) and Brisbane child care entrepreneurs Edmund and Le Never Groves ($93 million).

The South Australian miner Robert de Crespigny returned to the list with $150 million.