Brisbane 2032’s Olympic Boss Liveris Holds Stake in Sports Group

Conflict questions and a culture-war risk

The stake raises potential conflicts of interest, the reporting said. His stated philosophies on supporting minorities and the environment may also meet "anti-woke" turbulence from conservative Australia.

Liveris is no stranger to scrutiny. He spent decades in the spotlight as chief executive of a US chemical giant, overseeing multibillion dollar mergers. He also saw off a company expenses scandal involving Super Bowl tickets.

From Darwin to Dow

Liveris was born in Darwin into a poor family. His father died when he was 15, and the family moved to Brisbane to be with relatives. He attended Brisbane State High, then studied chemical engineering at the University of Queensland.

At university he protested the Vietnam War and Dow Chemical, which made napalm. Straight after graduating, he went to work for Dow.

He explains the move in his book Leading Through Disruption. "I understood that people like me with an ethnic surname and Mediterranean features would be able to advance only so far in (Australia's then) business circles," he writes.

He became chief executive in 2004. In his last year in the job alone he earned $US65.7 million ($A96.6 million).

Wealth and politics

His assets now include a $28 million home in a Sydney harbourside suburb and a Florida apartment that cost $US4.2 million in 2018. He also holds shares in ventures ranging from gold miners to an industrial salt business.

Yet he decries "inequality" capitalism and says the US should lift taxes as income increases.

Pitching Queensland

In October, Liveris worked the crowd at a property developer conference at Queen's Wharf casino in Brisbane. He wore a dark suit, a mauve tie and black sneakers.

"We have a generational opportunity in place because the Games are coming," he told the conference. "We are the fastest growing part of Australia in south-east Queensland."

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, he carried the torch down a Paris street, pumping his fist and shouting "Vive la France!" to bystanders. Brisbane will need a similar success in 2032.