Lindsay Fox

Lindsay Fox
Born	circa 1937 Prahran, Melbourne, Australia
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Years active	1956–present
Known for	Founder of Linfox, Australian rules footballer
Notable work	Founder and non-executive chairman of Linfox

Lindsay Edward Fox (born circa 1937) is a prominent Australian entrepreneur. He established the logistics enterprise Linfox in 1956 and, as of 2015, holds the position of non-executive chairman.

Early life

Fox was born around 1937 in Prahran, Melbourne. He attended Melbourne High School but left school at the age of 16 due to a lack of academic enthusiasm. His early career began as a truck driver, an experience that ultimately led to the creation of Linfox.

Football career

In 1960, Fox started his Australian rules football career with the St Kilda Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL), playing as a ruckman. Over two seasons, he appeared in 20 matches. Subsequently, he competed in the Victorian Football Association (VFA), securing a premiership with Moorabbin Football Club before transferring to Brighton-Caulfield Football Club. In 1979, he returned to St Kilda, this time serving as club president.

Business interests

Beginning with just one truck in 1956, Fox expanded Linfox into a leading logistics company. In late 2005, he acquired Melbourne’s Luna Park. The following year, he made an unsuccessful attempt to develop the adjacent Triangle Site on St Kilda’s foreshore—a location later destroyed by fire.

Fox has been involved in various disputes with government authorities over property developments. Notably, in the late 1990s, he sought to convert public beach land near his holiday residence into a private helipad and construct a secure compound; these proposals were denied by the Victorian Planning Minister. However, he did obtain approval to land his helicopter on crown land close to his Portsea home.

Additionally, Fox challenged heritage listing constraints imposed on his mansion in Toorak by local council officials. Separately, his son's residence in Toorak was lost to fire.

Awards and recognition

In 1992, Fox was honored as an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contributions to the transport sector and community service. He received the Centenary Medal in 2001. Later, in 2008, he was elevated to Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in recognition of his sustained impact on transport, logistics, youth training programs, and philanthropy.

In April 2022, following a $100 million donation from the Fox family, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) named its new gallery The Fox: NGV Contemporary.

Personal life

Fox wed Paula Grace Peele (now Paula Fox AO) in 1959, and together they have six children.

During a 2004 episode of ABC TV’s George Negus Tonight, Fox described his pragmatic approach to politics and business. He remarked on how significant events like the collapse of Ansett Airlines influenced his political allegiances.

After the tragic suicide of his son Michael in 1991, Fox became an advisor on youth suicide prevention for both federal and state governments and serves on the National Advisory Council on Suicide Prevention. He was recognized as "Victorian Father of the Year" in 1992. Reflecting on this loss, Fox highlighted the importance of resilience and dedication to family.

Fox possesses an extensive collection exceeding 50 automobiles, which are exhibited at the Fox Classic Car Museum located in Docklands, Victoria. The museum is operated by the Fox Family Trust.

Net worth

In 2019, the Australian Financial Review appraised Fox's net worth at 3.72 billion AUD, positioning him on the 2020 Rich List. By 2025, his estimated net worth had risen to 5.73 billion AUD. Fox is among seven living Australians who have featured on every edition of the Financial Review Rich List or its predecessor since its inception in 1984.

That same year, Forbes calculated his wealth at 3.50 billion USD, ranking him within Australia's 50 wealthiest individuals.

Year	Financial Review Rich List		Forbes Australia's 50 Richest
Rank	Net worth Template:AUD	Rank	Net worth Template:USD
2011	17 Increase	$2.05 billion Increase	11 Decrease	$1.70 billion Increase
2012	18 Increase	$2.00 billion Decrease	14 Decrease	$1.60 billion Decrease
2013	19 Decrease	$1.90 billion Decrease	14 Steady	$1.95 billion Increase
2014	15 Increase	$2.12 billion Increase	11 Increase	$2.20 billion Increase
2015	15 Steady	$2.24 billion Increase	9 Increase	$2.90 billion Increase
2016	13 Template:Gain	$2.49 billion Increase
2017	13 Steady	$2.91 billion Increase
2018	17 Decrease	$3.56 billion Increase		$3.50 billion
2019	31 Decrease	$3.31 billion Decrease	10 Decrease	$3.50 billion Steady
2020	23 Increase	$3.72 billion Template:Gain
2021	25 Decrease	$4.01 billion Template:Up
2022	24 Template:Up	$4.20 billion Template:Up
2023	23 Template:Up	align=right |$4.35 billion Template:Up	align=center |	align=right |
2024	align=center |21 Template:Up	align=right |$5.69 billion Template:Up	align=center |	align=right |
2025	align=center |26 Decrease	align=right |$5.73 billion Template:Up	align=center |	align=right |