This Month
Smorgon stoush triggers gold mine fire sale
One of Australia’s most powerful families have pushed their Chinese partners in the Stawell gold mine into receivership.
- Peter Ker
- Exclusive
- Life & Leisure
Here’s how succession planning works at Patek Philippe
The president of the Geneva-based family company, Thierry Stern, and his son Adrien chat exclusively with Life & Leisure.
- Bani McSpedden
‘So many zeros’: Why wealthy divorces are so complex
At the centre of every split is the question of how to divide assets. But the more money that is involved, the more complicated the task tends to be.
- Michelle Bowes
Apple Martin and the strange enduring spectacle of debutante balls
The daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s Chris Martin was “presented to society” in a tradition that’s morphed with the changing nature of wealth and power.
- Rachel Tashjian
- Opinion
- Warren Buffett
Five tips from Buffett worth more than his wealth advice
As the billionaire investor gets deeper into his 90s, he is passing on tips about how to have a good life (as well as good investments).
- Beth Kowitt
November
Rich women top UBS wish list as it targets $46b in Australia
The bank is returning to wealth management Down Under after it exited almost a decade ago, tapping the Credit Suisse franchise it bought to make a renewed charge.
- Updated
- Harry Brumpton
- Exclusive
- Gaming & wagering
Laurence Escalante’s VGW bulks up exec ranks as casinos bristle
Virtual Gaming Worlds was one of the early beneficiaries of a US legislative loophole in states where gambling is otherwise banned. It’s now under attack.
- Primrose Riordan and Zoe Samios
Signs you’re raising entitled brats (and how to avoid it)
Keeping children grounded and helping them understand the value of money is a perennial problem for wealthy parents. This dad reckons he has the answers.
- Michelle Bowes
Montessori Academy childcare founders reclaim control
Street Talk wouldn’t be surprised to see bankers add Montessori Academy to their list of IPO prospects as 95 per cent of the business transfers to the founders.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Case closed: Escala loses bid to restrict defecting partners
Paul Sealey and Jonathan Vickers‑Willis defected to rival LGT Crestone in 2023 amid a spate of departures.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Hoteliers lodge at Hudson House, headquarters of the very rich
The Australian Hotel Association has outbid four prominent families to secure a third floor at the exclusive home of Australia’s richest family offices.
- Campbell Kwan
October
I’m paid $99,170 as a nanny – the kids like me more than their parents
My employers tend to work in high-powered finance jobs. The money and lifestyle may seem envious, but they are never there for their children.
- MaryLou Costa
Inside the portfolios of the nation’s 690,000 rich investors
An extra 55,000 people joined the ranks of the high net worth investors this year, bringing the total number of rich Australians to 690,000. This is what their portfolios look like.
- Michelle Bowes
What about me? UBS, Credit Suisse tech integration misfires with advisers
Street Talk understands wealth advisers are fired up about a global edict that will keep them wedded to the Credit Suisse platform.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
September
- Exclusive
- Rich Listers
How the wealthy daughters of Westfield co-founder John Saunders invest
Previously unreported filings for Terrace Tower, owned by the late businessman’s family, reveal assets worth $1.85 billion. But it has been a bumpy two years.
- Primrose Riordan and Ronald Mizen
- Exclusive
- Andrew Fox
Rich Lister wealth secrets revealed after 30-year loophole ends
Two years after removing an exemption that allowed Australia’s richest families to keep details of their private companies secret, their financials are filtering through.
- Ronald Mizen and Tom McIlroy
Downton Abbey but with NDAs: how to be a butler to the super-rich
At an elite academy in the Netherlands, the archaic art of buttling is being reinvented for the 21st century.
- Will Coldwell
Former La Trobe boss eyes next fortune – as US oil and gas baron
Two years after leaving the company his father founded, Greg O’Neill has emerged as a big shareholder in group that has secured leases out from under Chevron.
- Joshua Peach
Macquarie vets CommBank’s ultra-high-net-worth advice business
Street Talk understands Macquarie is circling the disenfranchised group and seeking meetings with management.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
July
He planned to give $20b to his gardener. Now he’s lost it all
Nicolas Puech was already an outcast in the $237 billion Hermes family. But what happened to his billions of dollars in shares is a mystery.
- Tara Patel