Clive Palmer

Clive Palmer
Clive Palmer
Born	March 26, 1954 (age 72); Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, politician
Known for	Mining industry holdings, Palmer United Party, Titanic II project

Clive Frederick Palmer (born 26 March 1954) is an Australian billionaire entrepreneur and political figure. He possesses extensive holdings in iron ore, nickel, and coal industries. Palmer is the proprietor of Mineralogy, Waratah Coal, Queensland Nickel located in Townsville, the Palmer Coolum Resort on the Sunshine Coast, as well as multiple golf courses such as Palmer Sea Reef at Port Douglas and Palmer Gold Coast at Robina. Between 2008 and 2012, he was the owner of Gold Coast United FC.

In April 2013, Palmer established the Palmer United Party and secured the Sunshine Coast electorate of Fairfax during the 2013 federal election, serving a single term in parliament. After deregistering this party in May 2017, he relaunched it under the name United Australia Party in 2018, fielding candidates for all 151 House of Representatives seats and contesting the Senate in Queensland. Despite significant promotional efforts, his party failed to win any seats in the 2019 federal election but managed to obtain one Senate seat in 2022 before deregistering once more that September.

Palmer has been involved in numerous legal disputes connected to his business ventures, having once described litigation as a personal pastime. His legal tactics frequently extend case durations and escalate costs for adversaries, occasionally causing them to withdraw due to financial limitations. Palmer justifies these methods as a means to address wrongs. A notable incident involved his attempt to impose confidentiality agreements on employees at his now-defunct Queensland Nickel refinery, making their entitlements conditional on nondisclosure about him.

As reported by the Financial Review Rich List in May 2025, Palmer was ranked as Australia's fifth wealthiest individual with an estimated net worth of AUD 20.12 billion.

Early life

Palmer was born on 26 March 1954 at Footscray Hospital in Footscray, a suburb situated within Melbourne, Victoria. He spent his early childhood in nearby Williamstown. In 1963, his family relocated to Queensland, where he was primarily raised on the Gold Coast. His education included attendance at Aquinas College and Southport State High School, along with a short period at Toowoomba Grammar School. His father, George Palmer, worked as a travel agent and owned Akron Tyre Co and the Akron Broadcasting Co, which established Melbourne's radio station 3AK (currently known as SEN 1116).

From 1973 to 1975, Palmer pursued studies in law, journalism, and politics at the University of Queensland but did not complete his degree. Subsequently, he obtained a Diploma of Law through the Queensland Bar Board and was employed as a clerk and interviewing officer within the Public Defender's Office.

Real estate

During the early to mid-1980s, Palmer achieved success as a real estate agent on the Gold Coast, retiring at age 29 after capitalizing on the property market upswing.

Mineralogy

Between 1985 and 1986, Palmer established three enterprises dedicated to mining exploration in Western Australia, one of which was Mineralogy. By 2006, this company held control over a significant portion of iron ore deposits within the Pilbara Ranges. In 2008, Palmer expanded his mining interests by acquiring Waratah Coal. Subsequently, Mineralogy shifted its headquarters first to New Zealand in December 2018 and then to Singapore in January 2019.

Mineralogy has been involved in an extended legal conflict with CITIC regarding royalty payments stemming from a development agreement signed in 2006. In November 2017, the Supreme Court of Western Australia ruled in favor of Mineralogy, awarding them close to $200 million. By May 2019, CITIC initiated litigation against Palmer, who responded with a counterclaim valued at $5 billion.

In August 2020, the Parliament of Western Australia enacted emergency legislation aimed at preventing Palmer’s $30 billion claim against the state government related to Mineralogy. WA Attorney-General John Quigley criticized the claim as "rapacious," equating it to the entire annual budget of Western Australia. Palmer contested the constitutionality of this legislation in federal court.

On 28 March 2023, Zeph Investments—a company based in Singapore and owned by Palmer—initiated arbitration proceedings against the Commonwealth of Australia seeking AUD$296 billion in compensation for alleged damages connected to Mineralogy’s iron ore operations, following a previous unsuccessful lawsuit. WA Premier Mark McGowan condemned the claim as "the most deplorable act of greed in Australian history," while Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus pledged a robust defense on behalf of the Commonwealth.

Queensland Nickel

In 2009, Palmer took ownership of Queensland Nickel and the Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery after BHP announced plans to shut down the refinery. After a successful initial year, Palmer rewarded employees with luxury vehicles and international vacations. Nevertheless, on 18 January 2016, Queensland Nickel entered voluntary administration. Palmer refused to fulfill worker entitlement payments post-closure, claiming he had exited business operations years prior and attributing the layoffs to the administrators. As a result, the Federal Government stepped in to cover the employees' entitlements.

In April 2019, Palmer revealed intentions to restart the refinery and settle the $7.16 million owed to staff following the 2019 Australian federal election. The Special Purpose Liquidator deemed Palmer’s proposal inadequate, highlighting that it failed to address debts owed to small businesses or specify repayment plans to the government. The Liquidator pursued $200 million from Palmer and affiliated companies, with a trial set for July 2019. Additionally, the Australian Government sought $70 million from Palmer personally to recoup expenses paid to workers.

Palmer maintained that administrators were accountable for employee payments, pointing out that 218 workers were made redundant just prior to voluntary administration. In August 2019, after two weeks of trial proceedings in the Queensland Supreme Court, Palmer agreed to a settlement of roughly $110 million. This settlement encompassed reimbursement to the federal government under the Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG), full settlement of outstanding employee entitlements, and compensation for most unsecured creditors. Under this agreement, the Special Purpose Liquidator withdrew all claims against Palmer and his associates. Each party bore their own legal expenses; notably, Palmer represented himself in court.

Disputes over certain debt claims against Mineralogy persist. Palmer asserted that the settlement cleared his name, describing the legal actions as a "witch-hunt" designed to tarnish his reputation.

Palmer Coolum Resort: Dinosaur Park

Palmer purchased the Coolum Hyatt Resort in 2011 and subsequently proposed a park showcasing animatronic dinosaurs. He commissioned over 160 robotic dinosaurs, including a T. rex measuring 3.5 meters tall and 20 meters long, dubbed "Jeff". After obtaining council approval on 25 July 2013, the park—named "Palmersaurus"—opened its doors on 14 December 2013. The proximity of these dinosaur exhibits to the resort’s golf course led to the Australian PGA Championship relocating its event.

In 2015, due to poor occupancy rates, the Palmer Coolum Resort was placed into care and maintenance mode, resulting in a loss of 600 jobs since Palmer's acquisition. By 2017, the resort had significantly deteriorated and became involved in legal conflicts between villa-share retirees and Palmer. In 2018, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission charged Palmer with violations of the Corporation Act tied to a 2012 attempt to acquire timeshare villas at the resort. Palmer argued these charges were politically motivated efforts aimed at blocking his electoral ambitions.

Soccer

Palmer acquired the Gold Coast United football club in 2008. In October 2009, he imposed a cap limiting attendance at Gold Coast United home matches held at Skilled Park stadium to 5,000 spectators as a cost-saving measure on transport subsidies. Following public backlash, poor attendance figures, and intervention by Football Federation Australia (FFA), this restriction was lifted.

On 29 February 2012, Ben Buckley and Frank Lowy announced that Palmer’s licence for Gold Coast United FC had been revoked due to repeated violations of FFA regulations, with plans underway to settle player contracts for the remainder of the season. Lowy cited safeguarding the sport’s integrity as justification, while Palmer threatened legal proceedings and criticized Lowy’s leadership style as autocratic. Despite a directive requiring removal of "Freedom of Speech" logos from team jerseys, Palmer resisted compliance. On 2 March 2012, Palmer failed in his Supreme Court attempt to overturn the club’s expulsion from the A-League.

Following loss of the licence, Palmer established Football Australia, an alternative football governing body within Australia.

Titanic II

In February 2013, Palmer revealed intentions to create a contemporary replica of the , dubbed Titanic II. The ship was slated for construction in China, with its inaugural voyage planned from Southampton to New York City initially in 2016, later deferred to 2018. Palmer intended to faithfully reproduce the original vessel's exterior and interior features. The design called for a length of , a gross tonnage of , and accommodation for 2,435 passengers alongside 900 crew members. Palmer emphasized that the initiative aimed to pay tribute to those associated with the original Titanic. His enterprise was named Blue Star Line, a nod to the original White Star Line operator.

By early 2015, indications pointed toward the project's discontinuation: the Blue Star Line trademark was marked as "abandoned," no construction contracts had been finalized with the proposed Chinese shipyard, and local workers expressed doubt about any advancement. In May 2016, administrators managing Palmer’s bankrupt Queensland Nickel confirmed that no substantial investment had occurred toward Titanic II development for more than two years. Nevertheless, on 27 September 2018, Blue Star Line announced intentions to resume progress on the project.

On 13 March 2024, Palmer announced the revival of the Titanic II initiative, forecasting that construction would commence in 2025 despite no shipyard selection at that time. He attributed previous delays largely to the COVID-19 pandemic and pledged that contract tenders would be issued and finalized by June and December 2024, respectively.

WA border restrictions dispute

In July 2020, Palmer initiated a Federal Court challenge against the Western Australian government's COVID-19 border restrictions, arguing they were unconstitutional. Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan responded by branding Palmer as an "enemy of the state." Palmer contended that the border closure would "devastate the lives of hundreds of thousands," drawing comparisons between COVID-19 death tolls and fatalities from road accidents and influenza. By August, following public criticism, Prime Minister Scott Morrison withdrew federal backing for Palmer's legal action. McGowan welcomed this decision, pledged to persist with the legal battle, and urged Palmer to abandon the case, describing him as "Australia's greatest egomaniac" and an "Olympic scale narcissist."

This conflict brought constitutional questions to the forefront, particularly concerning parliamentary authority and adherence to the rule of law. On 6 November 2020, the High Court upheld the relevant legislation and released its detailed ruling in February 2021. Attempts to contest amendments enacted in 2020 were also dismissed by the High Court by October 2021.

During this period, Palmer filed a defamation lawsuit against McGowan, who retaliated with a counterclaim. In August 2022, the Federal Court determined that both parties had defamed each other, awarding minimal damages and reprimanding them for squandering judicial resources on a politically charged dispute.

Palmer Group divestment from Qantas

Following Australian airline Qantas's August 2021 mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all 22,000 employees, the Palmer Group chose to liquidate its entire shareholding in the company.

Additional engagements

Palmer was appointed adjunct professor of business at Deakin University's Faculty of Business and Law in June 2002, a position he held until 2006 during which he delivered lectures for MBA students. In 2008, he accepted an adjunct professorship in management at Bond University located on the Gold Coast.

In December 2012, Palmer assumed the role of joint secretary general of the World Leadership Alliance, an organization advocating democracy that includes notable figures such as former US president Bill Clinton and Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Concurrently, he was named president of the alliance's business division, the World Economic Council.

Also in December 2012, Palmer hosted a Christmas buffet lunch at his Palmer Coolum Resort for 650 underprivileged individuals.

In March 2012, Palmer was controversially designated a National Living Treasure by the New South Wales Branch of the National Trust of Australia. Reports suggested that workers at his nickel refinery were encouraged to support him in this recognition.

In 2015, Palmer contributed a house, vehicle, and food supplies to assist victims of a devastating house fire in Beenleigh.

Palmer regularly shares memes on his official Facebook page featuring themes such as media dominance by Rupert Murdoch, comparisons with political figures like Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, as well as references to his pet "Grog Dog" and Tim Tam biscuits. He was once required to clarify a tweet during court proceedings in 2017.

In September 2019, Palmer threatened legal action seeking $500,000 in damages against YouTuber Jordan Shanks over an alleged defamatory video posted prior to the May 2019 federal election. Shanks denied any defamation and challenged Palmer to prove his allegations in court.

In September 2023, the Federal Court dismissed a claim brought by Palmer and United Australia senator Ralph Babet against the Australian Electoral Commission. The challenge concerned the ballot paper layout for the constitutional referendum on an Indigenous Voice— a format previously used in earlier referendums.

Initial involvement

During the 1970s, Palmer actively participated in the Liberal Movement, which was led by South Australian Premier Steele Hall. In 1974, influenced by then-Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen, he joined the Queensland branch of the Nationals. From the early 1980s, Palmer engaged in state-level politics, taking on roles such as campaign director for the Nationals during their victorious 1983 campaign and serving as media spokesperson for the party in the 1986 election.

Palmer backed the unsuccessful "Joh for Canberra" initiative aimed at electing Bjelke-Petersen as Prime Minister of Australia during the 1987 federal election. In 1992, he was honoured with life membership in the Nationals and maintained this status following the 2008 amalgamation that created the Liberal National Party of Queensland. Additionally, Palmer contested the 1997 Australian Constitutional Convention election as a republican candidate, heading the "Elect the President" group, which secured 1.7 percent of first-preference votes in Queensland but did not succeed.

2013 electoral bid

Palmer declared his intention in April 2012 to pursue Liberal National Party preselection for the Division of Lilley in the upcoming 2013 Australian federal election, aiming to challenge incumbent Wayne Swan, who was then serving as both Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer. By July of that year, he redirected his efforts toward seeking preselection for other electorates, including the Division of Kennedy, represented by Bob Katter from Katter's Australian Party.

A few months later, Palmer relinquished his life membership with the Liberal National Party. His membership had been suspended in November 2012 following his public criticisms of state government ministers. Although briefly reinstated on 22 November, he chose to resign on that same day.

In March 2012, Palmer made controversial allegations claiming environmental groups such as Greenpeace were funded by the CIA; these accusations were rejected by both Greenpeace and the CIA as baseless.

On 25 April 2013, Palmer announced plans to resurrect the United Australia Party to contest that year’s federal election and submitted an application for its registration in Queensland. Despite objections from representatives of a former South Australian party over the name, the Australian Electoral Commission determined that "Palmer United Party" was sufficiently distinct and approved its registration.

Parliamentary tenure

Palmer stood for election in the Sunshine Coast electorate of Fairfax under his party’s banner during the 2013 Australian federal election. He narrowly triumphed over the LNP candidate Ted O'Brien by just seven votes, prompting an automatic recount. Although securing only 26.5% of first-preference votes, Palmer surpassed O'Brien through preferences from Labor and Green voters. Throughout the recount process, he challenged numerous votes favoring O'Brien and made unsupported allegations accusing the Australian Electoral Commission of corruption. Ultimately, Palmer was confirmed as victor with a margin of 53 votes (50.3%).

In addition to Palmer’s win, his party captured three Senate seats across Queensland, Western Australia, and Tasmania in 2013, thereby holding a shared balance of power. Nevertheless, internal disputes quickly arose. Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie departed from the party in November 2014 to serve as an independent after conflicts with Palmer. Similarly, Queensland Senator Glenn Lazarus exited in March 2015 citing disagreements with Palmer’s leadership.

During his inaugural speech, Palmer criticized the government for being "unresponsive to the daily challenges faced by all Australians," cautioning that a two-party dominance "endangers democracy and stifles innovation."

Palmer recorded one of the lowest attendance rates in the 44th Parliament, appearing at just 64% of sitting days in 2014 and dropping to 54% in 2015. He was infrequently present within his own electorate, favoring residence on the Gold Coast; at one point he went seven months without returning to Fairfax. His former rival O'Brien noted that many constituents turned to him for assistance instead and effectively regarded O'Brien as their representative.

In May 2016, Palmer declared he would not contest re-election for Fairfax nor seek a Senate position, effectively stepping away from political life. This decision allowed Fairfax to revert back to LNP control; O'Brien subsequently regained the seat with a comfortable margin.

Later political involvement

In September 2016, Palmer opted to deregister the party's state branches, initially planning to maintain its presence at the federal level. Nevertheless, by April 2017, he declared the party would be disbanded entirely.

Palmer revealed intentions to resurrect the party for federal engagement in February 2018. The revival occurred in June under the original designation, the United Australia Party (UAP), positioning itself as a continuation of the historic UAP and citing former leaders such as Joseph Lyons, Robert Menzies, and Billy Hughes as ideological forebears. This identity was upheld throughout both the 2019 and 2022 electoral contests. In June 2018, former One Nation senator Brian Burston aligned himself with the UAP.

To promote his political brand, Palmer launched a mobile game titled "Clive Palmer: Humble Meme Merchant" in January 2019. By April that year, he announced his intention to run for a Queensland Senate seat in the 2019 Australian federal election. His campaign expenditure reached $60 million, largely focused on advertising critical of the Australian Labor Party (ALP); however, neither Palmer nor his party secured any parliamentary seats.

Prior to the 2019 election, Palmer incorporated a modified version of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" in television commercials. The band publicly condemned this unauthorized usage, resulting in a Federal Court decision in April 2021 that mandated Palmer pay $1.5 million in damages for copyright violation and remove all infringing material.

During the 2020 Queensland state election, where the UAP endorsed 55 candidates, Palmer reportedly invested around $8 million in advertisements attacking ALP policies. Despite this effort, no UAP candidates were elected.

In 2021, Palmer welcomed Liberal defector Craig Kelly, known for rejecting established scientific views on climate change and vaccines. Both individuals have faced criticism for disseminating misinformation related to COVID-19.

A December 2021 survey by Resolve Political Monitor ranked Palmer as Australia's "least likeable politician," with only an 8% positive approval rating.

For the 2022 federal election, Palmer's spending reached $123.5 million—the largest among all parties—with the UAP capturing 4.7% of the vote but winning just one Senate seat and no seats in the House of Representatives. The party chose to deregister voluntarily on 8 September 2022; nevertheless, its sole senator, Ralph Babet, continues to serve as its representative.

In the lead-up to the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, Palmer allocated $2 million toward advertisements backing the No campaign.

In February 2025, the High Court ruled against Palmer’s attempt to re-register the United Australia Party for the forthcoming federal election. Subsequently, Palmer joined Trumpet of Patriots and announced plans to base its platform on policies inspired by Donald Trump, pledging $90 million toward its 2025 federal election campaign.

During the 2025 federal election, Palmer spent roughly $60 million on a nationwide advertising campaign—including over $6 million on YouTube and Meta platforms—and dispatched more than 17 million unsolicited text messages. Despite this substantial investment, the party failed to secure any seats, obtaining only 1.85% of the national vote. Following these results, Palmer declared his retirement from politics to concentrate on philanthropic activities.

Financial difficulties

In March 2020, Palmer was charged with four counts of fraud and dishonesty at the Brisbane Magistrates Court, following an investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). These accusations centered around questionable transfers amounting to several million dollars prior to the 2013 election, allegedly connected to financing the Palmer United Party via his company Mineralogy. Palmer refuted any involvement in the Queensland Nickel insolvency, describing the allegations as "fabricated" and driven by political motives. The trial was postponed until 28 August, with fraud convictions potentially resulting in prison sentences of up to 12 years.

Personal background

Palmer lives in a secured estate on the Sovereign Islands, Gold Coast, where property records indicate he owns 11 residences. His holdings also include properties in Broadbeach Waters, Fig Tree Pocket (Brisbane), Sofia (Bulgaria), Jandowae, Port Douglas, and Bora Bora. Additional real estate is held in trust by his wife. Between 2018 and 2019, Palmer reportedly invested over AUD 20 million acquiring luxury homes throughout the Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Perth regions. By August 2020, he possessed three contiguous houses in Fig Tree Pocket valued collectively at $17.5 million, situated on four hectares along the Brisbane River.

Palmer was married to Susan Palmer for 22 years until her passing in 2006; together they had two children. In 2007, he wed Anna, with whom he has two daughters. A practicing Roman Catholic, Palmer was active in pro-life campaigns during his university years.

In October 2009, Palmer was admitted to hospital after experiencing what was initially thought to be a heart attack but was later diagnosed as a heart palpitation. He has also suffered from sleep apnea. In February 2022, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia.

On 28 February 2022, Palmer purchased Adolf Hitler's Mercedes-Benz 770 and King Edward VIII's Rolls-Royce for an intended vintage automobile museum located in Queensland.

Wealth

The BRW Rich 200 estimated Palmer's net worth at AUD 600 million in 2016; by 2019 it had risen to AUD 4.09 billion; and according to the Australian Financial Review Rich List of 2025, it reached AUD 20.12 billion.

Year	Financial Review Rich List		Forbes Australia's 50 Richest
Year	Rank	Net worth (A$)	Rank	Net worth (US$)
2010	Template:Nts	$3.92 billion
2011	Template:Nts Increase	$5.05 billion Increase	n/a	not listed
2012	Template:Nts Template:Loss	$3.85 billion Template:Loss	Template:Nts Increase	$0.80 billionIncrease
2013	Template:Nts Template:Loss	$2.20 billion Decrease	Template:Nts Template:Loss
2014	Template:Nts Decrease	$1.22 billion Decrease	Template:Nts Decrease	$0.55 billion Decrease
2015	Template:Nts Decrease	$1.40 billion Increase	n/a	not listed
2016	Template:Nts Decrease	$0.57 billion Decrease
2018	Template:Nts	$2.84 billion Template:Gain
2019	Template:Nts Template:Gain	$4.09 billion Template:Gain	Template:Nts Template:Gain	$1.80 billion Template:Gain
2020	Template:Nts Template:Gain	$9.18 billion Template:Gain
2021	Template:Nts Template:Up	$13.01 billion Template:Up
2022	Template:Nts Steady	$19.50 billion Template:Up
2023	Template:Nts Template:Up	$23.60 billion Template:Up
2024		$22.75 billion Decrease
2025		$20.12 billion Decrease

Legend
Icon	Description
Value unchanged from previous year
Value increased compared to previous year
Value decreased compared to previous year } Friendlyjordies and defamation lawsuit In 2019, the YouTube content creator Friendlyjordies published a satirical video targeting Palmer. Subsequently, Palmer commenced defamation legal action but opted to discontinue the lawsuit later. See also Mineralogy (mining company) Palmer Nickel and Cobalt Refinery Palmer United Party Queensland Nickel Titanic II United Australia Party External links Clive Palmer v Mark McGowan – online case file from the Federal Court of Australia Official website of the United Australia Party Memorandum of understanding between the Palmer United Party and the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party