The NBR says Mr Key's well-known rag to riches story sees him owning properties in Auckland, Wellington, Omaha Beach, as well as an apartment in London and newly acquired $US3.25m holiday home in Hawaii.
Carter Holt Harvey owner Graeme Hart tops the list again, more than doubling his wealth to $6 billion from $2.75b last year following a series of large deals -- including the purchase of Alcoa's consumer goods packaging companies for $US2.7b.
The overall wealth on the 2008 list increased $5.8b to $44.4b from last year, with eight individuals or families qualifying as billionaires. This year there are 178 entries, compared with 176 in 2007.
Lynette Erceg, widow of the liquor baron Michael Erceg, is the first woman billionaire to appear on the list.
The NBR says she played a key role in overseeing the sale of her late husband's Independent Liquor company and has started investing the proceeds in wine and property.
"Despite the global credit crunch and the turmoil it has caused in the property and finance sectors and wider capital markets, overall the rich have still got richer," NBR Magazine editor Andrea Parker says.
"The pertinent question is whether we are at the beginning, the middle or the end of it all. Depending on the answer, then the impact on our Rich Listers over the next year or years may be interesting indeed."
In addition to Mrs Erceg and Mr Key, there are seven other new or reinstated entrants on the Rich List: agribusiness investor Alan Pye ($140m), Sydney-based investor George Kerr ($100m), Viking Capital director and former 42 Below chairman Grant Baker ($60m), 1980s All Black turned-investor Greg Burgess ($60 million), Navman co-founder Lionel Rogers ($60m), Queenstown-based investor John Davies ($50m) and Queenstown property developer John Martin ($50m).
The co-owners of finance company Hanover Finance, which has frozen $554m of funds owed to 16,500 investors, are ranked 16th-equal and 40th-equal respectively -- Eric Watson with $450m and Mark Hotchin with $200m.
Rich List to 10:
1 Graeme Hart $6 billion
2 Todd Family $2.6 billion
3 Eamon Cleary $2.1 billion
4 Christopher Chandler $2 billion
4 Richard Chandler $2 billion
6 Goodman Family $1.64 bilion
7 Lynette Erceg $1.4 billion
7 Stephen Jennings $1.4 billion
9 Wade Thompson $750 million
10 Sir Michael Fay $700 million
10 Douglas Myers $700 million
10 David Richwhite $700 million.
