Coronavirus NSW: Richard Buttrose helps out needy with deliveries of toilet paper
Richard Buttrose – the nephew of media doyenne Ita Buttrose and former “cocaine dealer to the stars” – is dealing the white stuff again. Toilet paper that is.
Confidential
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Richard Buttrose is dealing the white stuff again. Toilet paper that is.
The nephew of media identity Ita Buttrose and former “cocaine dealer to the stars” is back in the business of home deliveries, this time it’s the nation’s hottest commodity — toilet paper.
When news of the great loo roll shortage broke, Buttrose approached his mate, a toilet paper manufacturer and has been delivering and selling stock to needy eastern suburbs residents in recent weeks.
“Yes, the rumours are true, I was home delivering toilet paper this week,” Buttrose told Sunday Confidential.
“I know that sounds extraordinary, but these are extraordinary times.
“Like so many others, I’ve been frustrated with the rumble of the supermarket toilet paper lottery; not to mention the outrageous price gouging of the local corner shops. Can you believe that a shop in Darlinghurst is charging $4.99 for just one roll?
“Anyway, a mate of mine is a toilet paper manufacturer — which makes him the king of the world right now — so I put out a cheeky text to a few friends showing me leaning on a truck load of toilet paper with a caption saying ‘I can get bags of the white stuff’ and was inundated with requests.”
The good Samaritan, who is taking time to deliver the essential household item to people in self isolation, said business is booming.
“It was quite unexpected and made me realise that there are a lot of people struggling at the moment,” he said.
“I delivered to a bunch of people who are in full self-isolation due to other health issues and to someone who is post-surgery and unable to leave their house.
“Most people bought a box of 48 just so they could give a couple of rolls to all the elderly people in their apartment block. It’s a wonderful community service that has kept me busy all week.
“We’re all under so much stress right now and people are just so grateful to not have to stress about toilet paper anymore.”
Buttrose has turned his life around since his 2009 arrest and left prison with a Bachelor in Business from RMIT and an MBA in finance from Charles Sturt University.
He served nine years of a 12-year prison sentence for drug supply after police caught him with a 6kg bag of cocaine and more than $1.3 million in cash in 2009.
He was released from prison in 2017 and has since found love with popular publicist Tiffany Farrington.
The pair met two months after Buttrose was released from jail and have since moved in together.