Australia’s richest woman has added to her stake in lithium miner Liontown Resources Ltd. for the fourth time in under a month, edging closer to a position that could block a A$6.6 billion ($4.2 billion) takeover by the world’s biggest producer of the metal.
Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting Pty. now owns 14.67% of Liontown, the target of the Albemarle Corp. bid, according to an ASX filing late Tuesday — closing in on the 15% level that is generally considered to be an effective blocking minority stake. Her holding stood at just under 8% on Sept. 12.
Rinehart, who has amassed a net worth of $18.7 billion thanks to massive iron ore mines in Western Australia, does have existing lithium investments — but Liontown is by far her most significant bet on the battery metal to date.
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