Quick Facts
Biography
John Van Lieshout (born 1946) is an Australian billionaire, the founder and former owner of the Super A-Mart furniture store chain, who is now a property developer.
Early life
He was born in the Netherlands in 1946. He is one of 12 children of Karel, a plasterer and his wife Anna Van Lieshout, who emigrated to Brisbane’s Wacol Migrant Camp in 1960.
Van Lieshout has a high school diploma.
Career
Van Lieshout is the founder and former owner of the Super A-Mart furniture store chain. He sold Super A-Mart in 2006 for $500 million, and moved into property development.
Other members of the family have founded businesses, and they are known in Australia as the "kings and queens of furniture", having founded chains including Empire Office Furniture, Super A-Mart, BW Coles, Chevron and the Woolstore.
Through his Unison Projects Group, he has acquired 600 housing blocks and 200 townhouses in the Brisbane area.
He is the richest person in Queensland.
Personal life
He is married, with three children, and lives in Brisbane, Australia.