Talk:Gina Rinehart

Heiress in lead
"Heiress" is superfluous given that we clearly state that she is chairman of a company founded by her father. The word is mildly pejorative and implies some idleness or disconnect from the business, when that clearly is not the case. Christy Walton, Paris Hilton, Donald Trump and almost all articles about business-active individuals who enjoyed inherited wealth don't use it. The OP has been running a low speed edit war here for a very long time and the only justification they can muster is "she is undisputably an heiress". Moondyne (talk) 15:57, 10 November 2015 (UTC)
 * What is your objection to heiress? Inherited wealth as been central to her identity in Australia and the subject of a 14 year court battle. It seems relevant in a way that 'magnate' does not, because she is part of (and is continuing to build) a family dynasty. Since the word dynasty isn't appropriate given she is only the second generation, heiress seems a relevant signifier given she did not found nor prospect the tenements she owns. 180.216.91.199 (talk) 09:03, 12 November 2015 (UTC)
 * You should actually read what I wrote. We are not using magnate or dynasty but you seem to be placing undue weight on these aspects. She is simply chairman of the company founded by her father.  Since 2007 she has taken the company from principally minerals exploration and accumulation of leases on the back of a fortuitous and massive royalty stream from Hamersley, into oil and gas plays as well as construction, operation and marketing of 2 world class mines.  This was a pipe dream in her fathers reign.  Moondyne (talk) 14:21, 13 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Just discovered this discussion. This person is still trying to insert heiress into the article three years later. I'll quote my revert edit summary here which pretty much echoes what Moondyne wrote above: "We talk about her inheritance a few sentences later, in the opening sentence we generally don't call someone a "heir/ess" when they have become a business figure in their own right, e.g. James Packer, Rupert Murdoch." For someone to be trying to insert this for so long suggests an ulterior motive in my opinion. Ivar the Boneful (talk) 17:16, 8 November 2018 (UTC)
 * She is a heiress by definition. She inherited more assets than 99% of Australians earn in a lifetime. There are good reasons to believe those attempting to remove reference to heiress have ulterior motives and work for Rinehart. https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/gina-rinehart-don-t-call-me-an-heiress-20181204-p50k7o.html 115.42.172.138 (talk) 03:51, 23 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Note that as at 7 December this has been restored to the lead after vandalism. Any changes should be discussed here on the talk page. Deus et lex (talk) 08:56, 7 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Restored again in April 2021. Users who continue to remove this sourced content will be reported. Deus et lex (talk) 09:30, 24 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Maybe we should invent a new category.
 * If you want to be in business you need start capital. This can come in many shapes, forms, and sizes. Rinehart's is inherited. Dick Smith's was not, as far as I know. He discovered a trade that was a lot in demand at the time and allowed him to accumulate start capital for a larger company. For others, like Malcolm Turnbull, the start capital came through academic education and then a very lucrative client like Kerry Packer.
 * There are many ways to accumulate start capital, Rinehart's was inherited and with China's rise she could build on that spectacularly. Australia needs those Chinese iron ore sales even though they might end up in Chinese Navy ships or islands in the South China Sea. Such is life. 2001:8003:A070:7F00:A943:F4E6:5DB8:76D (talk) 05:40, 29 May 2022 (UTC)

Restored again in January 2023 - warning remains current. The comment above makes no sense and does not justify removal of sourced content. Deus et lex (talk) 02:12, 4 January 2023 (UTC)


 * This is one of the more peculiar contentious edit points on the pages I edit.
 * The source in question is over 10 years old and is of relatively poor quality. Better and more current articles for the lead can be found on Forbes and BusinessNews, amongst others.
 * The use of 'heiress' and the reasons for it to remain do not appear to be a genuine attempt to accurately describe a person without bias. As others have said, there are many other biographies of persons with inherited wealth where the term does not appear. I would suggest the use of heiress is more of a reflection of Rinehart's position as a politically contentious figure in Australia, where some take the view she should be looked upon less favourably.
 * It would also appear the use of the term is inaccurate in a more general sense. The term 'heiress' describes a woman who is legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death - this would have been accurate prior to the 1990s, but is no longer an accurate reflection of Rinehart's status.
 * The use of 'heiress' has been the subject of an edit war since 2015, I would suggest putting the matter to bed by updating the source used in the lead to a source more relevant and impartial. I can lend some suggestions in the coming days if no one else is so inclined. I would suggest a source disconnected from both Rinehart's business interests and politically charged publications. Corsicanalla (talk) 03:52, 23 January 2023 (UTC)
 * I'm comfortable with a more up to date source. And I agree "heiress" by itself would be inaccurate but the lead sentence does include other descriptors that reflect that. Deus et lex (talk) 06:37, 26 January 2023 (UTC)
 * The GR Bloomberg profile provides a relevant, unbiased and up to date source for the header. Respectfully, I suggest the former header was inaccurate, even when read as a whole, given the use of 'heiress' outside its definition. The header in article for Lachlan Murdoch provides an example of an appropriate use of 'heir' in this context, as Murdoch is legally entitled to inherit the vast property and status of his still-living father.
 * I have updated the header with the Bloomberg source with the following:
 *  'Georgina Hope Rinehart ... is an Australian billionaire mining magnate and businesswoman'
 * Other possibilities from the source for others to explore, if seen fit, could include the words 'pastoralist' or possibly 'philanthropist'. The term 'Australia's richest person' appears 3 paragraphs further down, as such I thought it unnecessary to include in the header, but someone else may want to move things around as it is relevant. Corsicanalla (talk) 10:12, 24 February 2023 (UTC)
 * She is an heiress. 111.220.78.195 (talk) 11:29, 21 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Heiress is staying. 111.220.78.195 (talk) 10:25, 16 July 2024 (UTC)