RØDE to Riches: Peter Freedman’s No-Bull Path to Building a Billion-Dollar Aussie Audio Empire

Built From the Ground Up

Peter didn’t inherit a gold mine. He took over the family’s small electronics shop in Sydney in the late 80s, right after his dad passed. What followed was a financial nosedive $400,000 in loans at 15 percent interest, a million bucks in debt, and no way out but forward.

“I had 40 credit cards. I was selling gear for less than I bought it, just to keep the lights on,” Peter says. “It was a nightmare. But it taught me everything about business.”

Out of options, he pulled a cheap Chinese mic from the back room, cleaned it up, gave it a new name the RØDE NT1 and started selling. It hit a nerve. Competitors were charging four times the price, and he was holding his own.

No Handouts, Just Hard Work

While other audio companies leaned on overseas suppliers, Peter went the other way. He built everything himself circuit boards, mic bodies, the works. What started with four people at a table turned into a full-blown manufacturing beast in Sydney. Today, RØDE gear is 90 percent made in Australia.

“We’ve dropped over $300 million into machinery. We could build a jet engine or a toothbrush in-house. That’s how precise it is.”

The Mackie Deal

In 2023, Peter took a massive swing. He bought US-based Mackie for $180 million, adding mixers, speakers, and more to RØDE’s arsenal. That deal didn’t just boost the bottom line it pushed RØDE into the conversation as the biggest name in pro audio globally.

And he’s not done yet. “There’s more coming. We’ve got ideas that’ll outlive me,” he says.

Still All In

He’s 65, but don’t let that fool you. Peter’s still deep in the game. While he handed day-to-day ops to CEO Damien Wilson back in 2016, he’s still the guy checking forums, scouting deals, and pushing boundaries.

“We’re pulling in around 100 million profit a year, and we’re worth more than 1.5 billion now. And it’s still growing.”

Private equity offered him a billion-dollar buyout. He turned it down.

“I’m not finished. I don’t have time to start from scratch, so I look for great small companies with the right people and ideas, and I plug them into our system. That’s how you grow fast.”

The Takeaway

Freedman’s story isn’t just about microphones it’s about not giving up, building real stuff, and betting on yourself when no one else will.

“You want to be a billionaire?” he says. “Get into design. That’s where it all starts.”

Peter Freedman isn’t just a success story. He’s living proof that Aussie-made can still lead the world if you’ve got the guts to back it.