Portrait of Chris Wallin

Rank #2711

Chris Wallin

Net worth $1.4B

Mining · Australia

Born
Jan 01, 1953
Age
73
Source
Mining
Residence
Brisbane
Citizenship
Australia
Marital status
Children
2
Education
Bachelor of Engineering, University of Queensland

Net worth over time

Biography

  • Armed with a geology degree, Chris Wallin was the Queensland government's chief coal geologist before starting his company, QCoal, in 1989.
  • He was a billionaire in 2011 and 2012, before plunging coal prices hammered his fortune. He reappeared on the list of Australia's 50 richest in 2019 after a five-year absence.
  • He rejoined the billionaire ranks after QCoal posted a five-fold increase in net profit in 2022 and paid him A$300 million in dividends.
  • In 2025, QGold launched a takeover bid for shares it did not own in Venus Metals Corp for A$0.21 per share, ending up with a nearly 32% stake after the bid closed in January 2026.
  • He's lived in the same house in the suburban Brisbane neighborhood of The Gap for reportedly 30 years.
  • Wallin also owns a clutch of smaller mining stakes.
  • In 2024, QCoal's philanthropic arm QCoal Foundation established the Christopher Wallin Prize for Excellence in Geology to support educational opportunities in Queens

Financial assets

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