“I’m leaving my inheritance
to the females in my family”
THE HOT SEAT
Whatwas your
first j b?
At 14 years and seven months,
the first day I could legally work,
I got a job at Hungry Jack’s
Carindale in Brisbane. My job
paid for school books and a
little something left over
for clothes shopping.
What’s the best
money advice
you’ve received?
Not quite advice, but when
superannuation started in
Australia in 1992 and I started
working as a lawyer in 1993,
human resources asked me if
I wanted to contribute to my
super. I literally had no idea what
that meant but said, “Uh, yeah,
sure, how about $25 a week?”
Fast-forward 20 years and
I have the type of super balance
that is the envy of many.
What’s the best
investment decision
you’ve made?
Education by a mile. I put
myself through law, then self-
funded my executive education
at Harvard and Stanford. It
changed my world view and my
awareness of what “impact”
truly means.
What’s the worst
investment decision
you’ve made?
Buying a ton of Mexican art
under the misapprehension that
it was a smart way to start a
business. My family is possibly
quite tired of Frida Kahlo themed
gifts for birthdays, Christmas
and baby showers.What is your
favourite thing to
splurge on?
Overseas travel to non-English-
speaking countries.If you had $10,000
where would you
invest it?
Into my superannuation or share
portfolio.What would you do
if you had only $50
left in the bank?
Get another job.Do you intend
to leave an
inheritance?
Yes, I regularly update my will.
I am leaving my inheritanceexclusivelytothefemalesin
myfamily.What’s the first step
to better financial
literacy?
A curious mind! Isn’t it
interesting to see what
relationship money has to
the rest of the world?Finish this
sentence: money
makes ...
... sense and nonsense
simultaneously.Amanda Young
Amanda is chief executive of First Nations Foundation. She is a lawyer and entrepreneur
who has worked in the indigenous space for many years in Queensland and Victoria.
Through the foundation, she connects indigenous opportunities to enablers and
is passionate about the economic future of first Australians.