Huge Stakes in Court Battle for Hancock Mining Spoils

Gina Rinehart attends day seven of the Australian National Swimming Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre in Sydney, Australia, on April 9, 2015. Matt King/Getty Images

A court battle over billions in iron ore riches is underway as Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart defends her fortune amid a bitter legal dispute over her father’s legacy.

Ms. Rinehart’s two eldest children and former business partners of her late father, mining pioneer Lang Hancock, are fighting for multibillion-dollar stakes in a lucrative iron ore project that’s half owned by Rio Tinto.