Billionaire philanthropist Anthony Pratt says “to whom much is given, much is expected’’

WAS Australia’s richest man channelling his inner-Spider-Man at the QCF Philanthropist of the Year awards in Brisbane?

WAS Australia’s richest man channelling his inner-Spider-Man in Brisbane on Friday?

Billionaire cardboard king Anthony Pratt told a sold-out Brisbane City Hall luncheon that his passion for philanthropy stemmed from the fact that “to whom much is given, much is expected’’.

That struck your diarist as eerily similar to Peter Parker’s maxim for his Spidey alter ego: “With great power comes great responsibility’’.

The Visy Industries titan also touted his environmental credentials, singling out his support for Al Gore, Global Green, Captain Planet and the Clinton Global Initiative.

Illustration of Anthony Pratt by Brett Lethbridge.

Given the shout out for sustainability and the Clintons, we’re still trying to understand how Pratt can be such great mates with global warming denier Donald Trump, whose loathing for Hilary knows no bounds.

Before Pratt took the stage, former top judge Margaret McMurdo told the 650-strong crowd that benevolence has played a vital role in societies stretching all the way back to ancient Babylon, Greece and Egypt.

Indeed, as early as 3000BC Babylonian law codes recorded special punishments for those who abused the weak, she recalled at the event, sponsored by the Queensland Charitable Foundation.

Later, QUT chancellor and pastoralist Tim Fairfax, who won the top gong as QCF’s Philanthropist of the Year, let it slip that he escaped to the Sunshine State 45 years ago because of the famous family name.

“I was running away from those Fairfaxes who live in Sydney,” he quipped, referring to the main branch of the media dynasty.

Anthony Pratt in Brisbane on Friday.

Taking it all in were the likes of former pollies David Hamill, Sallyanne Atkinson and Mike Ahern, who launched QCF in 19997.

Former GG Dame Quentin Bryce and ex-Queensland governor Leneen Forde put in an appearance, as did plenty of bizoids, such as John Aitken, John Allpass, Philip Bacon, Laurence Baynham and Andrew Buchan.

Lots of other corporate types were also spotted there, including Soheil Abedian, Chris Burrell, Barry Dunphy, Warren Ebert, Allan English, Damien Frawley, John Greig and Rosemary Vilgan.

TOWER TALK

CITY Beat spies have overheard some remarkable inside chatter about the proposed $1.4 billion makeover touted for Brisbane’s Eagle Street Pier precinct.

They report that property colossus Dexus has well-advanced plans for a substantially higher building of around 100 floors on the site now home to their 35-level AMP “gold tower’’.

That would be in addition to other two towers of 70-plus stories and the closure of a section of Eagle St already announced as part of the redevelopment scheme, which could kick off as soon as 2020.

But a Dexus spin doctor said yesterday there were no plans for a third tower and the AMP building would only be subject to ground-level improvements. She also noted the project would have to secure a DA from Brisbane City Council following speculation Dexus might only have to get a sign off from the State Government.

GONE TO GROUND

WE HAD hoped to have a chat yesterday with Dominic Holland, the Tow.com.au boss who was ordered by a court to turn over the personal details of more than 21,000 Queenslanders and destroy his own records.

But the Brisbane entrepreneur went to ground and told us there was a gag order stopping him from talking about the legal blow.

The Queensland Government, which is already battling Tow in court, sought the orders after Holland told City Beat last week that he was looking to sell more than $30 million worth of debts owed to his firm. The potential buyer of that debt would have received the private details of all those Queenslanders and been able to chase them up for moneys owed.