Children’s book celebrates the life of Meriton founder Harry Triguboff

Australia’s richest property developer has released a children’s book, lauding Harry Triguboff as a hero to Chinese buyers and his family. But not everyone is impressed.

Australia has a new children’s cartoon character but he isn’t a superhero, he’s our richest property ­developer.

Meriton founder and $21 billion man Harry Oscar Triguboff has had a kids’ book written about him and he says it’s “wonderful”.

In it he is a children’s cartoon character who kicks lazy builders’ butts, rides a mule to school, creates “Harrywood”, and channels the famous “mirror mirror” scene in Snow White.

Called King Of The Sky, it was sent out this week to 400 current and former Meriton employees who are also parents, industry bodies, subcontractors, dignitaries, family and friends.

The copies were personally signed by the Vaucluse local, who is Australia’s sixth-wealthiest person.

Prolific developer Harry Triguboff in his office at Meriton. Picture: John Appleyard

Mr Triguboff was even kind enough to provide The Saturday Telegraph with a signed copy after we made ­inquiries earlier this week.

While the book paints a rosy picture of the 89-year-old, one former senior manager at the company said: “I wonder who in the company thought this would be a good idea. I would have thought his legacy was obvious and does not need this sort of thing,” the ex-manager, who did not want to be named, said.

H.O.T. kicks a lazy worker.

The book tells of Harry’s rise to prominence, including his childhood in China, journey to Australia, and education at the exclusive Scots College in Bellevue Hill.

“Within these pages you will meet the coolest of guys, he literally rose above it all to become king of Aussie skies,” the book says.

“This is his inspirational story, a fairytale it is not, so come along, here’s a hint, his initials spell out HOT.”

The book says Harry is a “tough adversary” who “likes to call the shots”.

Welcome to Harrywood!

In one scene he kicks a ­“really lazy” builder in the bottom for not working hard enough.

In May last year, Mr Triguboff told a business breakfast that employees working from home are only “working half the time”.

The book also mentions “Harry was more than a little chuffed when buyers came from China, snapping up all his apartments, they’d never seen anything finer”.

But, while Meriton is a giant in the property development industry, some of Meriton’s apartments have also proven divisive.

Northern Beaches councillor Vince De Luca said Meriton’s 17-storey Lighthouse tower at Dee Why “has dominated the skyline and des­troyed many people’s natural views”.

Eastern suburbs Young Liberals president Pat Moore said in June last year “no one wants another Meriton mega-development towering over the coastline” at Little Bay.

Mirror mirror on the wall …

The most unusual picture in the 44-page book shows two Harrys sitting on golden thrones holding mirrors.

In a nod to the famous scene in Snow White featuring the malevolent queen, the Meriton book says: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the greatest one of all? It’s you Harry who is still King of the Sky. Ruler of apartments and still rising high.”

Mr Triguboff’s company has built more than 80,000 apartments.

By way of comparison, there are only 93,000 units in the 32 suburbs that make up the City of Sydney LGA.

The company has more than 950 employees and also operates a chain of hotels in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Harry’s a big fan of Chinese buyers.

Mr Triguboff told The Saturday Telegraph “everybody that we sent it to was very happy to receive it and really enjoyed it”.

“I didn’t know about it, it was a surprise, a gift,” he said of the book.

Asked if he wrote it, he said: “I definitely don’t have time to be a poet.”

Mr Triguboff said punters won’t see the book in stores, but added “Harry would like your opinion on whether a book like this should be available in bookstores”.

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