Businessmen

Media and gambling magnate Kerry Packer was making more than $1 million a day in profits in the final year of his life, corporate documents show.

Kerry Packer earned $393 million in the past financial year in profits from private investments in property, plastics, chemicals and cattle, according to financial statements filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

The figures, published in newspaper reports, show the 68-year-old Packer made an average $7.8 million a week in the past year, largely underpinned by some 258 million PBL shares.

A little-known millionaire has donated $30 million towards finding a cure for melanoma and hopes other rich Australians will follow his act by giving money to charity.

The money donated by Sydney businessman Greg Poche, who built the private freight company Star Track Express, is believed to be the largest single public charitable donation by an individual, a Sydney newspaper reported.

It will be put towards a new Sydney Melanoma Unit at North Sydney's Mater Hospital.

Today is OzJet's first day of commercial flights and as of 24 hours ago the fledging carrier had sold some seats for its peak morning and evening flights.

But next week it doesn't have a single booking for flights in the middle of the day.

There are more cabin staff than customers, in fact.

"I'm not stupid - if it's not being supported we'd take a view after six months," is all Mr Stoddart would say on how long he would cover the airline if bookings did not pick up.