Kerry Matthew Stokes, AC, KBE, is an Australian businessman, the self-made billionaire Chairman of Seven Group Holdings (ASX: SVW), a massive diversified conglomerate spanning media (Seven West Media), industrial services, and mining equipment (Caterpillar). Born in Melbourne, in 1940, his childhood was marked by extreme hardship: he was abandoned by his mother and survived by sleeping in parks and car wrecks.

Stokes left school at age 14 and worked various odd jobs (including carrots packer and dockyard laborer) before becoming a television repairman—a job that led to his first entrepreneurial venture. His philosophy centers on aggressive, opportunistic acquisition and long-term asset hold, driven by a deep commitment to Australian national history and veteran welfare.

• Seven Group Holdings (Chairman & Controlling Shareholder): The core publicly traded asset, a major conglomerate spanning industrial equipment (Caterpillar), energy (Boral), and media (Seven West Media).
• Early Struggles: He was abandoned by his mother, left school at 14, and slept in parks and car wrecks.
• Media Ownership: He controls the Seven Network and The West Australian newspaper.
• Philanthropy: He is a major donor to veteran welfare and national history (founding the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum).

Kerry Stokes's strategic genius was his commitment to vertical integration and opportunistic acquisition of essential assets. He founded his first business, a TV repair shop, and quickly expanded into real estate (developing shopping centers). His structural move was consolidating media assets (acquiring the Seven Network in the 1990s) and industrial assets (acquiring the Caterpillar franchise for Western Australia).

Under his leadership, Seven Group Holdings became a dominant force, capitalizing on the Australian mining and infrastructure boom (through its Caterpillar distribution). His immense wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the diversified media and industrial equipment sectors. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (A.C.) and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.).

Kerry Stokes's social impact is structural, stemming from Seven Group Holdings' role as a massive employer and foundational supplier of essential equipment and media services for the Australian economy. His profound philanthropic commitment is to veteran welfare (founding the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum).

His structural contribution is tied to his belief in self-reliance and the preservation of Australian history (collecting WWII memorabilia and funding research). His career is a powerful narrative of a self-made industrialist who overcame immense poverty to amass a global empire.

Kerry Stokes maintains the professional, composed style of an industrial executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the high-stakes media and industrial sectors.

Residing in Perth, Western Australia, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to industrial scale, media consolidation, and veteran welfare philanthropy.