JAMES Packer is Australia’s richest boss, with his company, Crown Resorts, racking in a massive $4.83 billion this year.

The annual BRW list of Australia’s wealthiest directors and managers is drawn from Australia’s top 500 ASX-listed companies, ranking Australia’s 100 wealthiest directors and managers as measured by the value of the shareholdings in the companies they work for.

Packer’s wealth, derived solely from his shares in casino and tourism company Crown Resorts, reached $4.3 billion, down 20 per cent from 2014. He was only one of two members of the list not to draw a salary.

Up from number five last year, TPG Telecom boss David Teoh has taken out the second spot, with TPG Telecom valued at $2.73 billion in shares.

Tipped as one of the biggest movers on the list, Mr Teoh’s company shares are up 68 per cent since last year’s list was published in March.

Fund manager Kerr Neilson, CEO of Platinum Asset Management, came third again with $2.55 billion worth of shares — an increase on last year’s $2.3 billion.

The media and telecommunications industries were some of the most popular industries, with six executives — including two in the top five — counted among the richest bosses in the country.

Chairman of News Corp Australia, Rupert Murdoch, slipped to fourth place after taking out last year’s top spot after drawing $12.61 billion from both News Corp and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.

The change is due to the changing nature of how his Australian assets are listed. While News Corp is still listed in the ASX, Twenty-First Century Fox Inc was delisted as of May 2014. Mr Murdoch is still the chairman and holds a large number of shares in Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.

This year, Mr Murdoch’s company’s wealth stood at $1.64 billion.

Fifth on the list is Seven Group Holdings executive chairman Kerry Stokes with $1.48 billion in wealth.

The wealthiest female leaders included Vita Group CEO Maxine Horne at number 33, whose communications provider company amassed $89 million in shares.

The BRW Rich Bosses list is drawn from the 500 largest companies on the Australian Securities Exchange, as ranked by market capitalisation.

To be eligible for the list, company officials must be involved in the day-to-day running of the company, which includes all members of the management team, executive directors and executive chairman.

Non-executive directors are not considered, even if they hold a large number of shares. The executives were ranked according to the value of their holding of ordinary shares on April 1.

The minimum entry level is $26.6 million to make the list. Position 100 is held by Mineral Resources division manager Bob Gavranich.