Troy Candy: Gold Coast influencer Troy Williams’ wild ride to fame and fortune

He’s a car enthusiast and businessman who shot to fame posting about hot cars and wild parties. Here’s how Troy Williams found success as popular social media influencer Troy Candy.

He is known for his online antics, regularly posting videos of his extravagant party lifestyle, hot women and hot cars.

Gold Coast influencer and businessman Troy Kenneth Williams — known as Troy Candy — pushed his way into the social media scene with his wild posts which resonated with his 242K Instagram followers, almost 140K TikTok fans and his 59K YouTube subscribers.

But his fame has also brought him to the attention of police, where he has had a couple of brushes with the law over the years.

Separately in June 2023, he was brought back into the spotlight as a victim of arson after his Gold Coast business Eye Candy Motorsports went up in flames — the second suspicious fire in that area which is being investigated by police.

Here's how Troy Williams became multi-millionaire Troy Candy.

Troy Kenneth Williams at a court appearance. Picture: Lea Emery.

Troy Candy posts on Instagram hours after he appeared in court in 2022.

Background

Williams was born in Victoria in 1990 where he grew up on the peninsula before moving to the Gold Coast in 2020.

According to his official website, he dropped out of graphic design school to “play with cars” which led to him becoming the owner and founder of Eye Candy Motorsports (ECM) in 2012, where he customises vehicles.

“Troy expanded to car modifications and car raffles, raising funds for charities to support education against violence, mental health, drought relief, bushfire victims and more,” the website states.

“As the ECM name grew, Troy began selling fresh merchandise including apparel, accessories and car stickers that eventually snowballed into an independent venture — the ECM label.”

Businesses

After he started his own car business, he also began to use social media early to promote it.

Firstly, he essentially advertised ECM for free via a Facebook page before branching out to Instagram and also YouTube where he shows the customised jobs including where he wraps luxury cars in vinyl to create unique designs.

He brands himself as Troy Candy on his social media channels.

His partying lifestyle led to him inventing the ‘drinking snorkel’, where he and his friends posted videos of them slamming the drinks through the snorkel from about 2019. He manufactured the product he designed and sells it online.

Troy Williams created a successful vinyl car wrapping business. Picture: Instagram

Troy Williams demonstrates a drink snorkel, sold on his website. Picture: Instagram

His latest venture is called Gee Up, a pre-mixed alcoholic drink with “triple distilled premium vodka and added electrolytes”.

Williams and his closest friends have been working on the product since 2020 and currently sell it online.

All of his businesses combined are said to be worth millions.

In the Alpha Blokes podcast, which went live in March 2023, Williams said the money he has earned has been a bonus.

“If you’re doing something for the money and you’re not passionate about it, it’s not sustainable, it’s not authentic,” he said in the two-hour podcast chat.

“When times get tough, you throw in the towel because you’re like f**k it. When times get tough and you’re doing something you love doing, you push through because you can’t picture doing anything else.”

Troy Williams shows off one of his customised cars. Picture: Instagram

Williams’ Eye Candy Motorsports was damaged by fire in late June 2023.

Williams was devastated by the fire at his custom car wrap business in Arundel which was understood to have six vehicles including a Rolls Royce inside, with one sustaining minor damage.

The day after the fire Williams posted a message on Instagram saying he was “still lost for words”.

“I’m not sure where to even start picking up the pieces but what I can say is I’m blown away by the love and support from everyone,” he wrote.

Family life

While most of his family still live in Victoria, Williams has made a life for himself in Queensland.

Troy Williams and Anita Cassin are both influencers. Picture: Instagram

Williams and Anita post about their lives on social media. Picture: Instagram

He lives with his fiancee Anita Cassin and the couple welcomed their first child, son Saint, on July 30 in 2021.

“Welcome to the Candy family little man, we are so blessed to have our healthy boy come in at 3.3kg and 52cm,” Williams wrote on Instagram to announce the birth.

“Our journey begins as a family, you’re lucky that you got the best mumma in the world!”

Troy Williams and Anita Cassin welcomed their first child. Picture: Instagram

Troy and his fiancee Anita Cassin named their son Saint. Picture: Instagram

Ms Cassin is also an influencer and an OnlyFans creator.

In March 2023, the couple listed their luxury waterfront home on the Gold Coast for sale with a price tag of $2.8m to 3m.

They first bought the five-bedroom property with a pool in 2021 for $1.64m — dubbing it Candyland — but decided they wanted a more family-friendly home.

Troy 'Candy' Williams with fiancee Anita Cassin, and their son, Saint, celebrating his first birthday in 2022.

He is close friends with ‘Lambo Guy’ Adrian Portelli who he does giveaways with, including raffling off houses and cars.

Portelli, also a self-made millionaire, made headlines after arriving at the 2022 auction finale of The Block TV reality series in a yellow Lamborghini, pushing up the price on bids for contestants Omar and Oz’s house.

In May 2023, Portelli bought Williams’ house and raffled it off to a lucky winner.

Brushes with the law

Williams announced to his fans in September 2020 he was looking for a “fresh start” in Queensland, after claiming he had been consistently harassed by Melbourne police.

“As some of you may know I have had severe Victorian police harassment since I was 18,” Williams claimed in the post.

“Think what you want but I am by no means a criminal. I know some will think ‘you deserve it’ etc but you’ll never know what iv (sic) been through with these guys and what hasn’t been captured on camera.”

Troy Williams aka Troy Candy driving at the Helensvale car meet in 2019 where he was later charged. Picture: Instagram

In November 2019, Williams was at a car show held by Black Diamond Tinting on Siganto Rd, Helensvale when he began to spin the wheels of his Holden Commodore in the car park, causing smoke and the tyres to screech.

Williams then moved slowly forward for a short distance before doing another burnout, leaving tyre marks for about 40m.

He was arrested in early 2020 after he relocated from Melbourne to the Gold Coast and charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. In June 2021, the burnout matter was finalised in court where he was fined $2000 but his licence was not suspended. No conviction was recorded.

“I know I’ve got an influence and younger kids see me online and think it’s cool to drive (dangerously) on the road,” Williams told the Gold Coast Bulletin in 2021.

“I know cops worry about that and I have really made a conscious effort since I’ve moved to remember my influence on anyone and tried to promote driving on the tracks.”

In 2022, Williams was charged with possessing dangerous drugs and buying or possessing a hazardous poison.

It was alleged police raided his Gold Coast home and found the opioid Tramadol and some CBD oil when they raided Williams’ home on May 19.

Troy Williams posted this picture on Instagram with the caption: “Another day hanging wit (sic) our mates.”

Williams vowed to fight the charges and in November 2022, police dropped all charges against him.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Danielle Meyers simply told the Southport Magistrates Court at the time: “We offer no evidence in relation to possessing dangerous drugs.”

Williams talked about being targeted by police in the Alpha Blokes podcast interview.

“I had to learn to deal with like haters and you know, all the f**king YouTube comments and that’s when I realised, alright I’m gonna be in the spotlight, I’m gonna grow social media there’s gonna be dramas from like police or haters, this is what comes with it, you can’t have it all good,” he said.

Wild parties

Williams is often known as ‘Candyman 2.0’, referring to Gold Coast tobacco franchise tycoon Travers ‘The Candyman’ Benyon based on his business success as well as his wild bachelor lifestyle.

Jackson O’Doherty and Troy Candy joined forces to throw an Australia Day party. Picture: Facebook

The Australia Day yacht party included hundreds of people at The Spit. Picture: Instagram

Though Williams has previously told the Gold Coast Bulletin the similarities between him and Travers Beynon begin and end with how they market their lifestyle, adding he has a large focus on raising money for charity.

“I don’t know if I agree with the comparison but he runs a business and I’m a businessman too. I just don’t have 15 girls at my house,” Williams said.

“But it is all about a lifestyle, everything that we do — my website thrives off people who look up to that lifestyle — the cars, jet skis, girls, parties …”

Williams has hosted parties with the likes of YouTube prankster turned adult content creator Jackson O’Doherty, with a recent memorable one on Australia Day in 2022, where they had a yacht party off The Spit and Wave Break Island, sharing the wild party antics on Instagram.

Videos shared to his Instagram story showed thousands of people partying on boats, tinnies and jetskis out on the water.

He also has posted about other parties like the ‘first ever Candyland party’ in April 2021.