Nicola Forrest

Nicola Forrest
Born	1960/61
Occupation(s)	Philanthropist, businesswoman
Known for	Co-founder of the Minderoo Foundation, joint owner of Tattarang
Spouse	Andrew Forrest (m. 1991; separated 2023)
Children	4
Awards	Officer of the Order of Australia (2019), Western Australian of the Year Community Award (2014), Chancellor's Award for Service and Philanthropy (2015), Fellow of the Western Australian Museum (2018)

Nicola Forrest AO (; born 1960/61) is an Australian philanthropist, co-founder of the Minderoo Foundation, and joint owner of the investment company Tattarang alongside Andrew Forrest.

Life and career

Nicola Maurice, daughter of farmer Tony Maurice and artist Brooke Maurice, was raised on a mixed sheep, cattle, and wheat farm located in Spicers Creek, New South Wales. Her early education took place at a single-teacher primary school, followed by attendance at high schools in Wellington and later Frensham School starting from Year 10. In 1981, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in secretarial studies with an economics major from Canberra College of Advanced Education.

Forrest's initial professional experiences spanned publishing and stockbroking roles based in Sydney, as well as working as a private cook and secretary for prominent individuals. In 1991, she married Andrew Forrest, who was then leading mining enterprises Anaconda Nickel and Fortescue Metals Group—ventures through which the couple accumulated substantial wealth.

Her board memberships have included arts organizations such as Sculpture by the Sea (2008–2010), and she held the chair position at the Black Swan State Theatre Company between 2018 and 2021. Additionally, Forrest serves as a patron for Impact100 WA and Rock Art Australia, while engaging with the Global Philanthropic Circle and the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership.

In 2013, the Forrests became signatories to The Giving Pledge, committing to allocate at least half of their wealth to charitable causes. Their philanthropic contributions to Minderoo Foundation include $400 million in 2017, $520 million in 2020, and a landmark donation of $5 billion worth of Fortescue shares in 2023—marking Australia's largest single philanthropic gift. Although they resigned as co-chairs of Minderoo in October 2024, they continue to serve on its board.

Personal life

Nicola met Andrew Forrest at a housewarming event hosted by his mother in 1988 and married him three years later. The couple has four children, one of whom is Sophia. Their third daughter was stillborn in 1998. In July 2023, after 31 years of marriage, Nicola and Andrew publicly announced their separation.

She identifies as a Christian.

Net worth

As reported by the Financial Review Rich List, Forrest's net worth was estimated at $12.83 billion .

Year	Financial Review Rich List		Forbes Australia's 50 Richest
	Rank	Net worth (Template:AUD)	Rank	Net worth (Template:USD)
2024	Template:Nts Steady	$16.92 billion Increase
2025	Template:Nts Template:Loss	$12.83 billion Template:Loss

Legend
Icon	Description
Steady	No change from previous year
Increase	Increase from previous year
Template:Loss	Decrease from previous year

Awards and honours

In 2014, Forrest was honoured with the Western Australian of the Year Community Award. The following year, she received the Chancellor's Award for Service and Philanthropy from the University of Canberra. Her contributions were further acknowledged in 2018 when the Western Australian Museum appointed her as a fellow. In 2019, she was designated an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of her exceptional commitment to philanthropy, education, the arts, and business.

Notes

• Prior to 2024, net worth figures were combined with those of Andrew Forrest.