Bob Jones (businessman)

Jones, born in 1939, is (by 15 years) the older brother of prizewinning author Lloyd Jones.[2]

Growing up in the Lower Hutt state housing suburb of Avalon, Jones attended Naenae College (1953–57). He was one of the 200 foundation pupils, and one of the ten who stayed to the sixth form, where he recalled a brilliant history teacher Guy Bliss (most pupils left as soon as they turned 15 to work).[3] He went on to attend the Victoria University of Wellington, where he earned a "blue" in boxing and contributed to a boxing column in the university's newspaper Salient. He remained a fan of boxing and sometimes commented on TV on big matches.[4]

Jones earned his wealth through investments in commercial property via his company Robt. Jones Holdings Ltd, and was worth $550 million according to the 2013 NBR rich list, and $600 million a year later.[5]

Jones formed the short-lived libertarian New Zealand Party in 1983, just before Robert Muldoon's snap 1984 election. Jones explicitly stated his disgust that the supposedly pro-free-enterprise New Zealand National Party had implemented socialist policies like price and wage freezes, and a top tax rate of 66%. His party acted as a spoiler, helping to deliver the government to the New Zealand Labour Party. Then the party implemented free market reforms under Finance Minister Roger Douglas (hence Rogernomics). When the election was over, Jones disbanded the party, seeing that Labour had implemented many of his policies. He and Muldoon had a legal feud, where Muldoon unsuccessfully sued Jones for defamation. But Jones had great respect for Muldoon in other areas. Jones even chaired the farewell dinner on the occasion of Muldoon's retirement from Parliament.[6]

In 1985, Jones was located by reporters in a helicopter while out fishing in a remote valley in Taupo. Jones, incensed at the intrusion when the helicopter landed on the adjacent bank, famously punched TVNZ reporter Rod Vaughan on the nose, with the whole incident recorded on tape.[7][8][9][10] Jones was convicted of four charges of assault and fined $1000.[11]

Jones attempted to remove the Fijian Embassy from one of his properties during the time of the 1987 Fijian Coup and succeeded two years later.[12]

In 2015, Jones was removed from an Air New Zealand flight by security staff for failing to follow crew instructions.[13] Jones' company subsequently bought a jet for Jones and other company executives to use for NZ travel.[14]

In 2018 Jones sued filmmaker Renae Maihi for defamation after she presented a petition to NZ Parliament calling for his knighthood to be revoked.[15] The petition had garnered more than 90,000 signatures but was not accepted for consideration.[16] The petition objected to comments Jones had written for the National Business Review. In his column, Jones had suggested that the country's national holiday Waitangi Day, should be replaced by a Maori Gratitude Day, “I have in mind a public holiday where Maori bring us breakfast in bed or weed our gardens, wash and polish our cars and so on, out of gratitude for existing.[17] He claimed it was satirical.[18] The defamation trial began in February 2020 and was due to be held for 2 weeks.[19] Jones withdrew his case after 5 days.[20][21][22]

Jones was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to business management and the community.[23]

• Bob Jones, centre, in 1979 (photo)
• Robt. Jones Holdings Ltd website
• Random House author profile