35 Facts About Harry Triguboff

Harry Oskar Triguboff was born on 3 March 1933 and is an Australian billionaire real estate developer, and one of Australia's richest people.

Harry Triguboff is the founder and managing director of Meriton and is known as "high-rise Harry".

Harry Triguboff was born on 3 March 1933 in Dalian, Liaoning, Republic of China.

Harry Triguboff was the son of Russian Jewish parents, Moshe and Frida.

Harry Triguboff's father moved to China in 1916 to escape antisemitism in the Russian Empire.

Harry Triguboff grew up in the Jewish community in Tianjin, in the British and American concessions.

Harry Triguboff's father established a store that traded wool, silk and leather.

Harry Triguboff's father opened four more stores and acquired 20 apartments, as well as a summer residence in Beidaihe.

Harry Triguboff helped distribute the textiles that had been seized by the Japanese to buyers in northern China.

In 1946, Harry Triguboff's family obtained landing permission for Australia, after being refused visas to Canada and the United States.

Harry Triguboff was ultimately allowed into the country and was educated at the Scots College, Sydney.

Harry Triguboff later graduated with a degree in textiles from the University of Leeds in England, before working in textile businesses in Israel and South Africa.

Harry Triguboff returned to Australia in 1950 and became an Australian citizen in 1961.

Harry Triguboff ran various businesses, including running a taxi fleet and owning a milk round in Chatswood.

Harry Triguboff tried selling real estate and worked as an assistant to a lecturer at university.

Harry Triguboff then bought some land in Roseville and hired a builder to begin building his house.

The builder failed to complete the work and Harry Triguboff finished the job himself, learning from his mistakes.

Harry Triguboff made a profit, which led to a second development in 1968 in Gladesville.

At Meriton Street, Harry Triguboff built a block of 18 units which provided the name of the company he registered as developers.

Harry Triguboff is the managing director of Meriton Apartments Pty Ltd.

In particular, Harry Triguboff has concentrated on the Gold Coast and Brisbane in Queensland, and Sydney's central business district, building more apartments than any other Australian residential developer.

Harry Triguboff has been a sponsor of the Wests Tigers since 1998.

Harry Triguboff committed Meriton throughout the club's merger period of 2000 and into 2015.

In September 2023, Harry Triguboff opened a new Meriton hotel, bringing the business to have an estimated value of $7.2 bn.

In June 2023, under Harry Triguboff, Meriton renewed plans to build up to 1,600 homes in Little Bay near Sydney, on land it had previously purchased for around $250 million.

For years, the development proposal had faced "some public opposition" concerning how the area would be developed, while Harry Triguboff had been lobbying local government.

In September 2023, Harry Triguboff oversaw new hotels opening for the first time in Canberra and Melbourne, as well as a new hotel in Liverpool near Sydney, bringing Meriton Suites to 6204 apartment suites and 23 properties.

Harry Triguboff was worth $23.6 billion in 2023, on The Australian's Richest 250 list for that year.

Harry Triguboff was named to the Financial Review Rich List of 2023.

Harry Triguboff donates heavily to political parties and uses his influence to seek policy changes.

Harry Triguboff has been married twice and has two daughters from his first marriage, Orna and Sharon.

Harry Triguboff participated in a 2010 Business Review Weekly magazine contest to "Win a Week With a Billionaire".

Harry Triguboff was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1990 "for service to building and construction and for philanthropy" and an Officer of the Order on 7 June 1999 "for service to the community as a philanthropist, and to the residential construction industry".

Harry Triguboff was the first person to win Australia's Property Person of the Year award twice; he first won the award in 2003 and then again in 2009.

Triguboff, via The Harry Triguboff Foundation, funded a project at the Shorashim Center to assist immigrant applicants to Israel in proving their Jewishness.