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Nicola Forrest AO (née Maurice; born in 1960 or 1961) is an Australian philanthropist. She co-founded the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation and is co-owner of investment company Tattarang with Andrew Forrest.

Life and career

Forrest was born Nicola Maurice in 1960 or 1961. Her parents were farmer Tony Maurice and artist Brooke Maurice. She has two older sisters and a younger brother. Forrest grew up on a farm in Spicers Creek, between Mudgee and Dubbo in central western New South Wales. Her family raised sheep and cattle and grew wheat. She went to a one-room, one-teacher primary school. While her sisters were sent to boarding school, Forrest's parent could not afford to do the same for her so she went to high school in Wellington. The family later moved and Forrest attended Frensham School from Year 10.

Forrest went to university at Canberra College of Advanced Education and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in secretarial studies, majoring in economics. She subsequently worked in publishing and stockbroking in Sydney, alternating between working and travelling. She also worked as a cook for a family in Yorkshire and had stints as a private cook for Susan Renouf and as a private secretary to Mary Fairfax. In the late 1980s, Forrest was a cook in a pub in Kynuna and later had a job in Europe with the United Nations.

In 1991, Nicola married Andrew Forrest who went on to lead the mining companies Anaconda Nickel and Fortescue Metals Group. Through Fortescue, the Forrests amassed an enormous amount of wealth and they became muiti-billionaires.

Forrest sat on the board of arts event organiser Sculpture by the Sea from 2008 to 2010 and is a life governor of the organisation. She was also a member of the Black Swan State Theatre Company board and its chair from 2018 to 2021. Forrest is a patron of Impact100 WA, which aims to facilitate and increase philanthropy, and Rock Art Australia (formerly Kimberley Foundation Australia) which funds research and preservation of Aboriginal rock art. She is also a member of the Global Philanthropic Circle and the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership.

Forrest and her husband made The Giving Pledge in 2013, promising to give away at least half of their wealth to charity. In 2017, they donated $400 million to the Minderoo Foundation followed by another $520 million in 2020. In 2023, they donated $5 billion worth of Fortescue shares to the foundation, the largest single charitable donation in Australian history. In October 2024, the Forrests stepped down as co-chairs of the Minderoo Foundation but retained their board seats.

Personal life

Nicola met Andrew Forrest in 1988 at his mother's housewarming party and they got married in 1991. They have four children, including Sophia. Their third daughter was stillborn in 1998. In July 2023, Nicola and Andrew announced their separation after 31 years of marriage.

She is a Christian. According to the Financial Review Rich List, Forrest had a net worth of $16.92 billion in 2024.

Recognition

In 2014, Forrest received the Western Australian of the Year Community Award. In 2015, the University of Canberra awarded Forrest with the Chancellor's Award for Service and Philanthropy. In 2018, the Western Australian Museum named Forrest a fellow in recognition of her support of the museum. In 2019, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the general division as part of the Queen's Birthday 2019 Honours recognition for her "distinguished service to the community through philanthropic support for education and the arts, to business and to the community".

References

1. Fontaine, Angus (14 July 2021). ""I try to make the most of what life has given me by giving to others, creating opportunity and making change." Nicola Forrest on her triumphs and tragedies and how they have shaped her today". Now To Love. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
2. ^ Thompson, Brad (11 September 2020). "Nicola Forrest, the woman with $20b to give away". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
3. ""I try to make the most of what life has given me by giving to others, creating opportunity and making change." Nicola Forrest on her triumphs and tragedies and how they have shaped her today". Now To Love. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
4. ^ "The Undercover Billionaire | Nicola Forrest". Australian Story. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
5. ^ Taylor, Belle (26 July 2016). "Nicola Forrest on wealth, love and dreaming big". PerthNow. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
6. ^ "Nicola Forrest on family, giving and what drives her". The West Australian. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
7. "Life Governors". Sculpture by the Sea. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
8. "New chair takes stage as Forrest exits Black Swan". The West Australian. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
9. "Forrests back philanthropic billionaires' club". Australian Financial Review. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
10. Murphy, Katharine (21 May 2017). "Andrew Forrest gives away large part of his fortune in $400m donation". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
11. Muroi, Millie (21 June 2023). "Andrew and Nicola Forrest donate $5 billion in Fortescue shares". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
12. Thompson, Brad (17 November 2024). "Andrew and Nicola Forrest step down as co-chairs of Minderoo Foundation". The Australian. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
13. Clarke, Jenna (30 June 2017). "Andrew Forrest donated his daughter Sophia's inheritance and she couldn't be happier". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
14. Ireland, Olivia (12 July 2023). "Billionaire Andrew Forrest and wife Nicola split after 31 years". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
15. "Rich List". Australian Financial Review. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
16. "West Aussie awards go to mining, sport, art and charity". WAtoday. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
17. "Accomplished UC alumni awarded distinguished honour". www.canberra.edu.au. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
18. "WA Museum confers highest honour on Andrew and Nicola Forrest". Western Australian Museum. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
19. Delalande, Joanna (9 June 2019). "Nicola Forrest leads 'ordinary' Aussies on honours list". The West Australian. Retrieved 24 December 2024.

• Living people
• 21st-century Australian philanthropists
• 21st-century women philanthropists
• Australian women philanthropists
• Australian billionaires
• Officers of the Order of Australia