James Packer
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James Douglas Packer (born September 8, 1967) is an Australian businessman. Packer was the son of the late billionarie media mogul Kerry Packer. James Packer is the Executive Chairman of Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) which owns some stations of the Australian commercial television network Nine.
He was educated at the Tudor House School in Moss Vale and the Cranbrook School Sydney. After graduating with the Higher School Certificate ( HSC ) from Cranbrook, Kerry decided it was time to toughen his son up in order to prepare him for the world of business. He was sent to his father's massive New Castle Waters cattle station in the Northern Territory, where he worked as a jackeroo. His father dismissed the idea of sending young James to University by saying "Why would he want to go [to University]. To go learn smoke marijuana?" [citation needed]
James Packer has been described by close friends and acquaintances as street smart and tough. He idolizes his father's business accomplishments and wishes to leave his own mark within the Packer Organization. He is a fan of rugby, cricket and golf. He is also an avid polo player.
One.Tel collapse
James Packer was a director of Australian Telecommunications company One.Tel, which was declared insolvent during May 2001. The collapse of One.Tel cost PBL AU$327 million. Packer admitted at a PBL Annual General Meeting that he had learned "painful lessons" from the collapse of One.Tel. Later at the liquidator's inquiry over the collapse he denied that he was apologising for his own personal conduct. Instead he claimed, "I was making an apology for accepting the bona fides of Mr. Rich and the executive directors of One.Tel."
Besides his father, his toughest mentor has been Albert J. Dunlap. Dunlap is known in American business circles for shedding massive numbers of company workforces in order to improve the finances of a corporation. His tenure at Sunbeam is a specific example.
In October 1999, he married swimsuit model Jodie Meares (who has since changed her first name to Jodhi), but in June 2002 they separated. He is currently seeing a model named Erica Baxter. Past girlfriends have included Tania Bryer, Kate Fischer and Joan Severance.
Packer is friendly with fellow Scientologist and American actor, Tom Cruise. It has been reported by the Australian Daily Telegraph that Packer was an extra in Cruise's film The Last Samurai.[1] The same newspaper has since reported that Packer is no longer associated with the Church of Scientology. The purchase of the Burswood Casino in Perth Australia adds to PBL's gaming business. James now wishes to add further gaming assets in Macao in partnership with Stanley Ho. He's also teaming up with Damian Aspinall, son of John Aspinall, in creating a group of casino complex's in Great Britain called Aspers.[2]