Packer owns residential property in
Bondi Beach and in
Bellevue Hill, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. The Packer family also have pastoral property holdings in , called
Ellerston Station, Following the breakdown of his first marriage, and the development of a friendship with American actor
Tom Cruise, Packer began attending the
Church of Scientology in Australia, taking courses on the Church's
Dundas business centre in 2002. He subsequently confirmed his involvement with Scientology, saying he had found it "helpful". He later distanced himself from the church. In 2020, during the public inquiry into Crown Casinos, Packer revealed he had
bipolar disorder.
Relationships Packer and actress
Kate Fischer separated in 1998 after five years together and a two-year engagement. Packer married
Jodhi Meares at his home in Bellevue Hill, Sydney in October 1999; the relationship lasted two years, and the couple separated in 2002. Packer later married part-time model and singer
Erica Baxter, whom he wed in the equivalent of a civil ceremony on 20 June 2007. The wedding was at the Antibes town hall, and the second ceremony took place at Hotel du Cap – Eden Roc in
Cap d'Antibes on the
French Riviera. Together, Packer and Baxter have three children: a daughter, born 27 July 2008, a son, born 1 February 2010, and another daughter, born 22 September 2012. In September 2013 James and Erica Packer announced they were separating. Packer and American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey became engaged in January 2016, but had broken up by October. At the time it was alleged that the break-up was a result of Carey's extravagant spending and rows over her reality show ''
Mariah's World'', but Packer later said that the relationship had just been a "mistake" for both sides. In November 2017, Packer paid Carey a multi-million dollar settlement, in response to a lawsuit pursued by Carey citing an "inconvenience fee". In 2019, Packer was dating Kylie Lim.
Philanthropy Packer has supported a number of Australian medical institutions such as the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Centre and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and mental wellbeing programs such as Lifeline. Packer is the founder of both the Packer Family Foundation and Crown Resorts Foundation. In July 2014, the two foundations launched their 200 million National Philanthropic Fund, one of Australia's largest philanthropic commitments. According to the two foundations, they are working together to promote Indigenous education opportunities, the arts and culture, and partnerships with organisations that encourage and foster social cohesion. Underlying these priorities are learning, accessibility and engagement outcomes for young Australians – staying engaged with school and learning is the key to long-term positive outcomes, and this is the approach and message that the partner organisations are delivering. The Packer Family Foundation has provided $50 million to support Australia's arts and cultural institutions as well as arts education programs throughout lower socio economic communities. The arts education funding has supported schools throughout areas like Mt Druitt, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Penrith and Blacktown to provide arts, music and literacy programs which support educational outcomes, teachers, and school engagement. In May 2023, Packer and the Packer Family Foundation jointly donated $7 million to the
University of New South Wales for mental health research, with a focus on
mood disorders.
Controversies Packer was involved in a public physical brawl at Bondi Beach in 2014 with
David Gyngell, a long-term friend and head of
Channel Nine. Gyngell and Packer were both fined $500 for offensive behaviour over the incident. In late 2016, Israeli Police started looking into reports that Packer gave members of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's family gifts and benefits. Packer, who is trying to gain residency in Israel, has taken the first step and registered with Israeli tax authorities. In February 2018, Packer was mentioned in an Israeli Police report recommending the prosecution of Netanyahu on corruption charges for accepting bribes, and acting against the interests of the state of Israel. Packer is mentioned in the report to have provided Netanyahu and his family members with champagne, cigars, jewellery and clothing valued at approximately US$100,000. In March 2019, leaked text messages showed that
Kevin Tsujihara had promised auditions and acting jobs to actress
Charlotte Kirk in return for sex in September 2013. They also showed that the sex was facilitated by her then friend Packer for his personal influence. In September 2020 her lawyers filed a petition in the
Los Angeles Superior Court to vacate a
gag order that has kept her mostly silent amid the years-long battle. The petition paints a picture of Tsujihara engaging in non-consensual sex.
Net worth Packer first appeared on various
wealth lists in 2006, following the death of his father the previous year and the intergeneration transfer of the bulk of Kerry Packer's wealth to his son, James. James Packer's wealth was valued at A$7.25 billion. The 2008
BRW Rich 200 listed Packer as the third-richest person in Australia with a personal wealth of A$6.1 billion, behind
Fortescue Metals Group chief executive
Andrew Forrest and
Westfield Group's
Frank Lowy. That was the first time in 21 years that a member of the Packer family had not topped the list. In 2015
BRW Rich 200, Packer's net worth was assessed at A$6.08 billion, making him the seventh-richest Australian. Yet by mid-2010, it was reported that Packer owned a number of assets including
Ellerston Z (a
superyacht),
Arctic P (a luxury cruise ship and former ice-breaker), a private jet, a 12-seater
Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, and a variety of cars. ,
Forbes magazine estimated Packer's wealth at 3.6 billion, down from the 6.60 billion published by
Forbes in their 2014 list of the richest people in Australia. In the 2017
Forbes list of the 50 Richest Australians, Packer's net worth was assessed at 3.9 billion, making him the ninth-richest Australian.
Wealth rankings ==See also==