Robert Gottliebsen AM

Robert Gottliebsen is an icon of journalism. He pioneered business journalism in Australia and made it so mainstream that comedy shows in the early 1990s, such as Steve Vizard’s Fast Forward, imitated him and dubbed him “Whispering Bob” for his breathless, excitable style. His regular appearances on TV and radio were legendary, as he talked about business as if he were telling a story to an enthusiastic child.

Bob speaks to big business, small businesses, investors and Australians. He makes the economy, superannuation, property and industrial relations understandable to everyone. He is a brilliant marketer who understands that business is more than numbers. What makes it interesting is the personalities, the gossip and the boardroom intrigue. Bob became famous for his fly-on-the-wall analysis of what went on behind the scenes during company takeovers, business collapses, political stoushes and sharemarket machinations.

During his 65 years in the media he has done it all. He has worked for newspapers, for 3AW radio station for 37 years, and for television. He’s written a book and won a series of awards, including a Walkley in 1976 and Graham Perkin Journalist of the Year in 1977. He was inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame and was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to journalism.

Bob began his career at The Melbourne Herald straight out of school, and gained a diploma in journalism at the University of Melbourne in 1959 before starting at The Age’s business section. He moved to Sydney in 1962 to report for The Sydney Morning Herald’s business section before moving back to Melbourne for The Australian Financial Review (AFR).

In 1974, he created the AFR’s famous backpage Chanticleer column, which is still the mainstay of the paper’s analysis. In 1979, he handed the baton to future AFR editor Alan Kohler, whom he had mentored. In 1980, he created the glossy business magazine Business Review Weekly (BRW), launching the Rich List, which continues to this day in the AFR.

During the next 20 years Bob Gottliebsen was the big cheese. BRW was a resounding success, and Gottliebsen was responsible for hiring many journalists who would go on to become household names, including Pam Williams, Laura Tingle, Ross Greenwood, David Koch, Karen Maley, Narelle Hooper and Adele Ferguson… There’s hardly a journalist Bob hasn’t hired.

His empire building continued when he set up Personal Investment Magazine and Shares, both of which made a fortune for Fairfax.

In the early 2000s, he left his beloved BRW and went to The Australian as one of its leading columnists. It was a big coup. In 2006, he retired, but after a year he decided to ditch retirement and take a risk to join Alan Kohler in a new cutting-edge venture, Business Spectator. He wrote a daily column and helped finance it. In a short time it became a must read, and secured a significant market share, prompting its purchase by The Australian, where he returned and still remains.

Bob has been an inspiration for so many journalists. His generosity, marketing genius and understanding of business and personalities is second to none. His daily columns have a solid following. He has covered more than 50 federal budgets and countless company successes and collapses, booms and busts, and seen governments and policies come and go.

He has never lost sight of the importance of the audience, or of the treatment of whistleblowing. Since Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
whistleblower Richard Boyle was arrested and charged in 2018, he has written columns calling on the government to drop the case.

“Bob has been writing for 65 years. It’s time to honour this legend of journalism.”

Adele Ferguson AM

“Bob Gottliebsen’s writing, editing and entrepreneurialism changed finance journalism in Australia. It has directly affected the understanding of all Australians about the economy, and about their own finances. It is perhaps the greatest legacy of his career. Because of Bob’s journalistic efforts – and writing – Australians are today among the most business and economically literate people on the planet. He created hundreds of journalism jobs and nurtured some of Australia’s best journalists.”

Ross Greenwood

“With more than 60 years of journalism he is still at the top of his game. In the past year alone his columns have seen almost 3 million page views. He understands the real economy. He is always so connected to the real world and what people are thinking. His topics are always relevant and fresh.”

Michelle Gunn, editor, The Australian