Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart says her father would have "great feelings" about what she has achieved but would not be thrilled by the family's court battles.
After a bitter legal battle with her two eldest children over control of the family trust, estimated to be worth up to $5 billion, Mrs Rinehart has spoken to the ABC's Australian Story about the family disputes and building its iron ore business.
"I know very well my father would have great feelings about what I have done," Mrs Rinehart said.
But she indicates her late father Lang Hancock would not be happy about the legal battles over the trust he established.
"Dad knows how hard it is to build a company, to try and entice financiers to trust us to do the debt financing and yet still be whatever-ed by a whole lot of litigation," she said in a preview of the program.
"This is not the sort of thing Dad would be thrilled with."
A NSW judge in May said Mrs Rinehart had used tactics bordering on intimidation in the fight for control of the trust, which he handed over to eldest daughter Bianca Rinehart.
The Australian Story profile appears to attempt to present another side of Mrs Rinehart in contrast to what friend Imelda Roche describes as derogatory stories about her.
"Every time a news story breaks there's usually something derogatory to say about her and about the family relationships and it puzzles me why Australia doesn't take more pride in her achievement," Ms Roche said.
Friend John Singleton told the ABC it was a dynastic story of Shakespearean proportions.
"Gina's turned it into the richest family company in Australia. On the other hand it's become the most disputed family company in Australia and that's the pity of it."
Mrs Rinehart's $13 billion Roy Hill mine in Western Australia is expected to deliver its first iron ore about the end of September.
"Gina's great strength, where she'll go down in history, is she took her dad's big dreams and made them big realities," Mr Singleton said.
The two-part Australian Story will air on ABC1 at 8pm on Monday July 6 and 13.
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