Jack Cowin

In 2021 the Financial Review Rich List, the successor of the BRW Rich 200, assessed Cowin's net worth at A$4.94 billion; and was ranked as the 17th richest Australian. Meanwhile, Forbes Asia assessed Cowin's net worth as US$1.7 billion in 2019; and he was ranked as the 23rd richest Australian by net worth.

The business Competitive Foods Australia continues to be privately held by his family, with an estimated value of $350 million. In 2017, Cowan advocated for the elimination of weekend worker penalty rates within Australia, regarding them as a "thing of the past".

Cowin served as the Chancellor of the University of Western Ontario from 2015 until 2019.

Cowin was listed on the Australian BRW Rich 200 list at number 70 in 2008, and 79 in 2009, and had an estimated net worth of A$486 million and, in 2010, an estimated net worth of A$538 million. Cowin was ascribed a net worth of A$1.8 billion (24th) in the 2016 BRW Rich 200.

The NSW Supreme Court ordered Burger King Corp. to pay A$45 million to Hungry Jack's Ltd. for lost profits from delayed restaurant openings, inability to sell third-party franchises, and cannibalization by the chain's corporate-owned locations. Burger King appealed the matter to the New South Wales Court of Appeal, and on 21 June 2001, the appeal was dismissed and Burger King Corp. was ordered to pay Hungry Jack's A$71 million in damages.

In 2000, his alma mater, the University of Western Ontario, conferred Cowin with the award of Doctor of Law (honoris causa). Cowin served as the 22nd Chancellor of the University from September 2015 until May 2019. He gifted funds to the University to pay for stands for the new football field, that was named in honour of his father, Stanley J. Cowin.

In 1999 Cowin took action against Burger King Corp. in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Cowin alleged that Burger King attempted to terminate Hungry Jack's contract on the grounds that the Australian franchisee was not opening new units as fast as was required under the agreement. In response, Cowin's Hungry Jack's sued Burger King for breach of contract, alleging that the chain had no legal grounds for terminating the contract.

He bought the right to open ten KFC franchises in Western Australia, raised CA$10,000 each from thirty Canadians to launch the business in December 1969, having moved with his wife and young child. As of March 2006, those initial investors had an investment worth approximately A$8.9 million. After opening eight KFC outlets, he bought the rights to Burger King.

Jack Cowin (/ˈkaʊɪn/, born 13 July 1942) is a Canadian-Australian businessman and entrepreneur with a long-term involvement in franchised fast food chains in Australia and Canada. Cowin brought KFC to Australia, founded and owns Hungry Jack's, which is the Burger King franchise in Australia, and has at various stages controlled the Domino's Pizza franchise in Australia prior to its 2005 listing on the ASX.

Cowin was born on 13 July 1942 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. His father, Stanley J. Cowin, was posted to Australia briefly by Ford and later encouraged his son to consider emigrating there. Cowin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario in 1964.