Sir Ted Manson

Sir Ted Manson is an Auckland property developer who grew up in a state house in Ōrākei and built one of New Zealand’s largest privately owned commercial construction companies, and then turned a large part of that fortune towards housing people who had nowhere to live. His name sits on office towers across Auckland and on a foundation that funds emergency accommodation.

Building Mansons

Manson started out in 1975, buying and renovating houses in Auckland with his father Colin, and over the following decades grew the business into one of the country’s most active commercial property developers, responsible for a long run of large office buildings in central Auckland and the Wynyard Quarter. In 2006, joined by his three sons, the firm took the name Mansons TCLM. It designs, builds and holds much of what it develops, a patient model that turned decades of construction into one of New Zealand’s substantial private fortunes.

Giving It Back

What sets Manson apart from other wealthy developers is where the money has gone. Through the Ted Manson Foundation he has funded and built emergency and social housing in Auckland, using the same construction expertise that built his commercial portfolio to put a roof over families in need. He has spoken about wanting to be measured by the housing he gives away rather than the buildings he owns.

Recognition

Manson was knighted in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to philanthropy, the community and business, recognition of both the company he built and the giving that followed. His story is a reminder that a property fortune, often an easy target for criticism, can also be pointed squarely at one of the country’s hardest problems.

Sir Ted Manson features in our guide to the most famous New Zealand entrepreneurs.