Cannon-Brookes: Australias billionaire climate warrior [Video]

Tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes once joked he could not tell the difference between an AA battery in his kids’ toys and the gigantic lithium-ion units powering today’s green energy revolution.

Today, he is the driving force behind a $24 billion project to build the world’s largest solar battery hub in Australia’s remote outback.

The 44-year-old was born in the United States before moving to Sydney at an early age.

He gained riches and public attention through software start-up Atlassian and investments in high-profile sports teams like the NBA’s Utah Jazz.

But a lost wager with Elon Musk seven years ago set him on a path towards massive renewable energy investments — and he has not looked back since.

He and university friend Scott Farquhar founded Atlassian in 2002 with few expectations.

“Our goals when we started were not to have to get a real job and to not have to …