Gerry Harvey
Encyclopedia
Gerry Harvey is an Australia
n entrepreneur
best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman
. He co-founded it with Ian Norman.
and attended school at Bathurst
and Katoomba before moving to Sydney
to go to university
when he was 17, but he dropped out. He got his start early, selling vacuum cleaners and fridges door-to-door. When he was younger Gerry was determined to be a farmer
. "I went to university for a couple of years and I didn't enjoy university. The studying and the accountancy
, economics
, I just hated that stuff. Now the irony is here I am lawyer
, accountant
, I do it all day every day and sit at a desk. So I've never ended up where I wanted to be in many ways. I always wanted to be a farmer."
The company also owns the retailers Domayne, Joyce Mayne, along with numerous other, smaller businesses. Harvey adopts a very hands-on approach to his business, appearing as a spokesman
during radio adverts for Harvey Norman
. He frequently gives comment on economic and business matters in the national press and television media and has a sizeable public profile. He is generally regarded as a slightly maverick businessman and is often critical of Australian CEOs, particularly when it comes to remuneration. He often states that no one is worth the millions they earn and that if they think they are worth more, they can be paid in options and shares.
Gerry Harvey's net worth is estimated at $870 million and is ranked at #13 of the richest people in Australia.
Over the last decade he has become increasingly involved in breeding race horses. He is now considered one of the largest breeders in the world, with over 600 thoroughbreds in his stables. He also owns 50% of the Magic Millions
, one of the largest and most expensive thoroughbred
auction events in the Australian racing industry.
In January 2011 Gerry Harvey was embroiled in a widely condemned campaign backed by a number of bricks & mortar Australian retailers to scrap tax rules that allow Australians to shop on overseas websites without paying GST.
In an interview in 2008 he described giving charity to the homeless as "a waste", and said that it was "helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
. He co-founded it with Ian Norman.
Biography
Gerry Harvey was born in rural New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and attended school at Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
and Katoomba before moving to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to go to university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
when he was 17, but he dropped out. He got his start early, selling vacuum cleaners and fridges door-to-door. When he was younger Gerry was determined to be a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
. "I went to university for a couple of years and I didn't enjoy university. The studying and the accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, I just hated that stuff. Now the irony is here I am lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
, I do it all day every day and sit at a desk. So I've never ended up where I wanted to be in many ways. I always wanted to be a farmer."
The company also owns the retailers Domayne, Joyce Mayne, along with numerous other, smaller businesses. Harvey adopts a very hands-on approach to his business, appearing as a spokesman
Spokesman
A spokesperson or spokesman or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have received formal training in journalism, communications, public relations and...
during radio adverts for Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
. He frequently gives comment on economic and business matters in the national press and television media and has a sizeable public profile. He is generally regarded as a slightly maverick businessman and is often critical of Australian CEOs, particularly when it comes to remuneration. He often states that no one is worth the millions they earn and that if they think they are worth more, they can be paid in options and shares.
Gerry Harvey's net worth is estimated at $870 million and is ranked at #13 of the richest people in Australia.
Over the last decade he has become increasingly involved in breeding race horses. He is now considered one of the largest breeders in the world, with over 600 thoroughbreds in his stables. He also owns 50% of the Magic Millions
Magic Millions
Magic Millions Sales Pty Ltd is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse auction house which holds a sale each January at Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Eight days of auctions are joined by a major Thoroughbred horse race meeting where all ten races are only open to horses who were bought at auctions...
, one of the largest and most expensive thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
auction events in the Australian racing industry.
In January 2011 Gerry Harvey was embroiled in a widely condemned campaign backed by a number of bricks & mortar Australian retailers to scrap tax rules that allow Australians to shop on overseas websites without paying GST.
Personal life
In his second marriage, he is wed to Katie Page, who is the CEO of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd..In an interview in 2008 he described giving charity to the homeless as "a waste", and said that it was "helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason".
External links
- Entrepreneur Gerry Harvey - Gerry Harvey in conversation with Jennifer Byrne (audio available)