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A bold pivot to country music led to the most successful concert tour in the genre’s history and helped Cowboy Carter lasso a 10-figure fortune—becoming just the fifth musician to do so.

From Trump frenemyship, the DOGE debacle, unmet self-driving car promises, chainsaws and “Mechahitler” to a $1 trillion pay deal, 2025 was the billionaire’s most chaotic and lucrative year.

The late Bob Oatley purchased Hamilton Island in 2003. Twenty-two years later, the Oatley family have sold the largest island in the Whitsundays archipelago in a deal said to be worth $1.2 billion.

From beauty moguls to data-centre tycoons, fintech founders and the next generation of rising stars, Forbes Australia’s 2025 covers captured the people reshaping industries, fortunes and the future. This is the year in leaders, innovators and boundary-pushers, and the stories behind their defining moments.

Fuelled by AI, prediction markets and online gambling, there are more self-made billionaires under 30 than ever before, 13 up from a previous record of 7.

From rich lists and tech entrepreneurs to the safest countries in the world – here are the 10 stories that Forbes readers loved in 2025.

Chip Wilson was both celebratory and harshly critical after the company announced last week that its CEO is stepping down. But it’s just one small battle in a very public war between Wilson and the company he created.

Anant Ambani, son of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, gifted the soccer star a seven-figure watch on his recent trip to India.

OpenAI wanted GPT-5 to be less warm and agreeable than its predecessor. Some neurodivergent people struggled with the change, showing the tricky balance AI companies must strike when releasing new models.

The first batch of documents include photos of high-profile figures including former President Bill Clinton, Walter Cronkite and Michael Jackson.