20 Facts About Kerry Stokes

Kerry Stokes holds business interests in a diverse range of industries including electronic and print media, property, mining and construction equipment.

Kerry Stokes is most widely known as the chairman of the Seven Network, one of the largest broadcast repeating corporations in Australia.

Kerry Stokes was adopted by Matthew and Irene Kerry Stokes and grew up in Camp Pell, a slum housing area.

Kerry Stokes later dropped out of school at age 14.

Kerry Stokes' first reported job was to install television antennas in Perth, followed by a sustained period in property development throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Kerry Stokes developed a range of shopping centers in Perth and regional Western Australia with partners Jack Bendat and Kevin Merifield.

Kerry Stokes invested in the Caterpillar franchise in Western Australia in 1988, and the company subsequently called WesTrac has equipment dealer franchises in Western Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, with the total number of employees close to 4,000 people, as well as 500 apprentices in Australia.

In 2007, Kerry Stokes' National Hire Group formed a joint venture with The Carlyle Group to acquire the equipment hire group Coates Hire.

In 1996 Kerry Stokes acquired a strategic 19 per cent stake in the Seven Network, a network of commercial free-to-air television stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, as well as regional Queensland and Perth.

Denise walked out of the marriage and went overseas, and Kerry Stokes became a single father.

In 1995 Kerry Stokes was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to business and commerce to the arts and to the community.

In 2008 Kerry Stokes was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for service to business and commerce through strategic leadership and promotion of corporate social responsibility, to the arts through executive roles and philanthropy, and to the community, particularly through contributions to organisations supporting youth.

Kerry Stokes has been awarded the Rotary Paul Harris Fellow Award by Rotary International and holds a life membership of the Returned and Services League of Australia, on whose behalf Stokes has acquired three Victoria Crosses, as well as other medals.

Kerry Stokes now sits on the council of the War Memorial.

In November 2012, Kerry Stokes was named Western Australia's Australian of the Year for his extensive philanthropic contributions to Australian society.

In 1994, Kerry Stokes delivered the Boyer Lectures, a series of five lectures broadcast annually on ABC radio.

Kerry Stokes delivered the Andrew Olle Media Lecture in October 2001.

Kerry Stokes has taken an active role in preserving Australian ownership of significant military heritage; he has now purchased three Australian Victoria Cross medal sets, and a George Cross medal set.

Kerry Stokes donated all three sets to the Australian War Memorial.

Kerry Stokes warned if China cut off its trade the Australian dollar would plunge to 0.25 and make it even harder to pay off Australian debt.