The National Business Review lists Mr Hill as being worth $170 million, the same figure as in 2009.
NBR writes about the closures of some shops in the United States, bad press over a recruitment seminar in Auckland, and the potential loss of the New Zealand Golf Open from The Hills, his privately owned course at Arrowtown.
However, sharebrokers still look on Michael Hill International favourably and had no issues with the company when contacted yesterday.
Mr Hill is admired for his decisiveness in business. If something is not working, he does not hesitate to make changes.
The Richardson family owns HW Richardson Group. The family, worth $180 million, used the early part of the year to expand the business, buying both Kauriland Petroleum, based in Whangarei, and McCormicks Transport, in Ashburton.
With its Allied Petroleum subsidiary, HW Richardson was the fuel and lubricants distributor for Mobil throughout the South Island and the lower half of the North Island. The Kauriland addition means the company is now the nationwide distributor for Mobil, with 61 more service stations, along with direct sales to farms and other commercial enterprises.
The next richest individual living south of the Waitaki is Queenstown-based investor and philanthropist Sir Eion Edgar, worth $95 million.
Sir Eion is said to be a consummate networker and ceaseless worker for his charities and community organisations which span the gamut from sports to the arts and health research.
Although he has scaled down his active roles in business, he remains chairman of national sharebroking firm Forsyth Barr and is a director of the privately owned Queenstown Resort College.
One of Sir Eion's greatest achievements in the past year was the Winter Games, which attracted more than 800 athletes from 40 countries to New Zealand. It was watched by a television audience of more than 750 million.
Arrow International founders Ron Anderson and Bob Foster are jointly listed as being worth $85 million each. Their building partnership started in 1984 and, 25 years on, they have managed more than 2000 projects.
Arrow has an estimated turnover of $2.5 billion a year.
Barry Thomas, who recently retired as chairman of tourism company Skyline Enterprises, is worth $75 million, according to the Rich List. Skyline runs a gondola, luge and tourism accommodation in Queenstown along with gondola and luge operations in Rotorua, Singapore and Canada.
Allied Press publishers and brothers Julian and Nick Smith have been listed as being worth $70 million. Allied Press publishes the ODT and another 11 community newspapers round the South Island while maintaining a stake in the Greymouth Evening Star.
The Skeggs family, which is involved in tourism and shipping, is worth $65 million. Sir Clifford, the founder of the business, is no longer a director but sons David, Bryan and Graeme continue to serve on the board. David is the managing director.
Wanaka entrepreneur and investor Sir Tim Wallis is also listed at $65 million.
Dunedin's McConnon family remains on the rich list at an estimated $52 million, despite losing about $60 million in the failed Rural Portfolio Investments co-owned by Craig Norgate. Baird McConnon runs the family business with his brother Alan.
