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.
From rich lists and tech entrepreneurs to the safest countries in the world – here are the 10 stories that Forbes readers loved in 2025.
Founded in 2017 by Hayley and Andy Worley, Sheet Society has become one of Australia’s fastest-growing bedding brands. Now, the company is entering its next chapter with a national retail rollout – and giving ‘room service’ a new meaning.
From mining magnates to tech innovators, these women haven’t just broken the glass ceiling – they’re redefining what power looks like in 2025.
Australian health influencer Belle Gibson has topped Google’s list of most-searched public figures in the country, after Netflix’s ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ series detailing her cancer hoax hit screens earlier this year.
After a pipe burst on Harrison Crowe-Maxwell’s street in 2019, he enlisted Long Tran and Shyeon Delnawaz to build and commercialise the ‘ferret’ – a 40cm autonomous bot that can crawl into underground pipes. With more than $2 million in capital, Puralink is at the forefront of a $5.26 billion opportunity.
With more than 2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok alone, you may mistake Sophia Begg, better known as @ sophadophaa_, for being just another influencer. She begs to differ.
Grace Toombs’ own experiences with the Australian health system led to her launching Australia’s first at-home cervical screening test kit. Now, part of Startmate’s accelerator program, she’s looking to raise more capital to revolutionise all aspects of women’s healthcare.
Mitchell Hughes and Jerry X’Lingson launched NextGen Ventures in late 2024 to invest in student founders. Backed by Blackbird’s Niki Scevak and dozens more LPs, NextGen is on a mission to make Australia the best place to build.
Three years ago, 21-year-old Phoebe Britten founded a national not-for-profit that’s reshaping access to education for young Australians: Inspire Tomorrow Education.