Deborah Thomas has been the subject of intense scrutiny since the tragic accident at Dreamworld last week, which claimed the lives of four Gold Coast holidaymakers.

The CEO of Ardent Leisure Group, the company that owns the theme park, has been widely criticised since the Thunder River Rapids malfunctioned last Tuesday killing Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozbeh Araghi, and Cindy Low.

The criticism has been aimed not only at her performance over the past week, but at her immense personal wealth.

Thomas, who has pledged to donate her yearly bonus of $167,500 to the Australian Red Cross charity, has also revealed she was forced to contact the NSW Police after she and her family were repeatedly threatened online.

Thomas broke down as she addressed the media at Dreamworld last week. Source: Getty

Giving a brief interview to the Australian Financial Review, the former Women’s Weekly editor admitted she was feeling "not great", especially after photographs of her apartment building in the Sydney suburb of Point Piper and of her 14-year-old son's private school were published.

"We've been getting some pretty nasty threats directed at myself and my family," she said. "We've had some concerns for the safety of our family."

Thomas and her son actually went on the popular ride in July then the family visited Dreamworld while holidaying on the Gold Coast.

Fronting the media during Ardent Leisure's annual general meeting in Sydney last week, she fought back tears after being further lambasted for not immediately reaching out to the victims' families.

Listen: Mamamia Out Loud discusses the spotlight thrust upon Thomas in the Dreamworld aftermath. (Post continues after audio.)

When a Channel 10 reporter challenged her on the topic, Thomas was forced to address Luke Dorsett's family directly on live television.

"The Dorsett family are actually watching this press conference at the moment and are apparently furious at suggestions that support has been offered to them," the reporter told the panel.

Clearly rattled, Thomas promised to get in touch as soon as possible.

"We didn't call the Dorsett family directly because we didn't know how to contact them," she said.

Thomas fronted media at the Ardent Leaisure AGM on Thursday alongside Chairman Neil Balnaves. Source: Getty

"So we have been to the police liaison officer. I will not call her now in front of the media, but I am very happy to call her very soon after this meeting."

In her interview with the AFR, she conceded the company could have handled itself better on multiple fronts and said wished she had pushed the Queensland police to put her in contact with the grieving families sooner.

She also said she regretted being granted a long and medium-term incentive package, potentially worth $860,000, just two days after the tragedy — a move that drew massive public criticism.

"If, heaven forbid, we ever had to do this again, the decisions we made would be very different," she said, vowing to make Dreamworld the safest amusement park in the world.

Adding more fuel to the fire, a plan to reopen the park last Friday was panned not only as insensitive but dangerous.

Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson has since promised it will remain closed until after all four of the victims' funerals.

"No parts of the park will open until at least after the funerals of the four people who tragically lost their lives," he said, adding that all attractions were set to undergo internal and external safety audits.

"We have not set a timeline for the reopening of rides at Dreamworld."