S olomon Lew is an Australian retail magnate and the chairman of Premier Investments, a publicly traded investment company that is the vehicle for his extensive retail holdings. He began his career in the 1960s in the clothing industry, taking over his family's small business. He built his fortune over several decades through a series of savvy investments and acquisitions in the Australian retail sector. He is known for being a tough and astute corporate raider and activist investor.

Premier Investments, in which he is the largest shareholder, owns a portfolio of some of Australia's most well-known fashion and lifestyle brands, including the stationery chain Smiggle, the sleepwear brand Peter Alexander, and apparel retailers like Just Jeans and Jay Jays. He has successfully expanded several of these brands, particularly Smiggle, into international markets. He is also a major shareholder in the Australian department store Myer, where he has been a vocal and often critical activist investor, agitating for changes in the company's board and strategy.