Richard White (born April 1, 1955) is the billionaire former CEO and co-founder of WiseTech Global, an Australian technology company specialising in transport logistics.
White was born in Sydney in 1955, and grew up in the suburb of Bexley. His father ran an engineering business, his mother sold cookware through house parties and as a youth he washed dishes for his grandparents wedding reception business. [1]
He worked as a musician in a band called Jade [2] and refrigeration mechanic, later standing a small business repairing guitars called Rock Repairs. [3] [4] He taught himself electronics and programming when he started building lighting systems for bands. [1]
He graduated Sydney Technical High School in 1972 [1] and completed a master's degree in IT management in 2002. [4]
White co-founded WiseTech (then Eagle Developments International) with Maree Isaacs in 1994, having worked together previously. [5] [1]
The company became established in the Australian logistics industry by 2000, and expanded into the US market in 2006 under the name CargoWise. [4] They changed the name to WiseTech in 2011. It was listed on the ASX in 2016. [6]
Both White personally and his company invested in Grok Academy, an Australian technology education company led by James Curran, with the aim of providing free technology education to students, and encouraging other Australian technology companies to act similarly. [7] [8]
White lives in a mansion on a compound in Bexley based on the grounds of the house he grew up in. His mother, children and some old school friends live in separate houses on the site, which is energy-independent through a 100kW solar system and a 235kWh Tesla battery. [9]
White married former criminal lawyer Zena Nasser in 2024 in the United States, and they have a child via surrogacy. [10]
White stepped down as CEO of WiseTech in October 2024 after he was involved in a bankruptcy case with Linda Rogan, who alleged he was trading sex for investing in her business, and similar allegations from other women, some from within WiseTech. [3] [11]
He was later cleared by WiseTech of bullying and intimidation allegations, and remains on as a consultant at his former salary. [12] It was noted by the Australian Financial Review that the "salacious revelations" had little effect on his position and influence. [13]
In 2017, Forbes listed him among Australia's 50 richest people with an estimated net worth of over A$1 billion. [14] By January 2025, the Forbes estimated his net worth at US$9.2 billion; [15] and the AFR at A$11.62 billion. [16]