Marrying up: High-profile Aussie men batting above their average
Marrying up is a well-worn Aussie tradition – and these high-profile men fit the expression “batting above their average” perfectly. We look at 12 relationships where the love match comes with a bonus.
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Marrying up is a well-worn Aussie tradition — and these high profile men fit the expression “batting above their average” perfectly.
While these blokes may be powerful, talented, charming and good looking in their own right, it’s hard not to notice many of them have been overly blessed when it comes to their wife.
We look at some of the relationships where the love match comes with a bonus.
Jon Stevens and Heloise Pratt
Jon Stevens began dating billionaire heiress Heloise Pratt in 2016, making their first public appearance as a couple at the Collingwood ball.
Heloise is the daughter of late billionaire businessman Richard Pratt, who had amassed a reported fortune of $5.48 billion before his death in 2009.
It’s been seven years of private jets and A-list invites for the former frontman for The Dead Daisies and Noiseworks singer, who is no stranger to the Sydney social scene after dating James Packer’s ex, Jodhi Meares.
Seven years on, it seems to be true love for Stevens and Pratt. In 2017, after releasing his album Starlight, Stevens revealed he is in a better place today and the ‘happy love song’ is about his romance with Heloise.
Richard Wineberg and Monica Saunders Weinberg
According to those who know them, Richard Wineberg and Monica Saunders-Wineberg are a match made in heaven.
The billionaire heiress, who continues the philanthropic legacy of her father, property developer and Westfield empire co-founder John Saunders, is besotted by her husband and the father of her three children – who is a lawyer by trade – and according to those close to them, compliments her personality perfectly.
Touted by his friends as “a really and fun cool guy, like Burning Man cool” many would claim it is in fact Monica who hit the jackpot.
Guillaume Brahimi and Tamie Ingham ... and Sanchia Brahimi
Celebrated chef Guillaume Brahimi hit the big time not once, but twice.
His first wife, Sanchia Brahimi is the daughter of former Rich Listers and philanthropists Charles and Eva Curran.
They were married for 16 years before the relationship came to an abrupt end in 2016.
The smooth-talking and talented chef has since married billionaire chicken heiress Tamie Ingham, with the pair tying the knot in Paris earlier this year in front of A-list guests including Karl Stefanovic.
Ned O’Neil and Deborah Symond-O’Neil
If there’s a family who gets marriage right, it’s the O’Neil’s.
Denis O’Neil, the owner of Rose Bay Marina, has four children and two of his sons (Ned and Jake) have married women much wealthier than they are (as did his daughter Poppy, who married Anthony Tzaneros whose family is worth $1.56 billion).
While the O’Neil family have absolutely done well for themselves, there’s no denying the match of eldest son Ned with ‘Aussie’ John Symond’s daughter, home loans heiress, Deborah, makes them a power couple.
Deborah, whose father is worth $780 million, runs popular fashion e-tailer, Mode Sportif.
The couple recently moved into their $20.5 million Centennial Park home.
Jake O’Neil and Lou Hay
Just like his older brother, Jake found love with another heiress in Lou Hay, the daughter of the late Donald Hay, who founded cleaning products manufacturer Hayco in 1983 and built it into a major international company.
While property developer Jake earns his keep, Hay is said to be worth a motza following her father’s death in 2019.
Luke Ricketson and Kate Waterhouse
The power imbalance between Luke Ricketson and wife Kate Waterhouse is such that ex Roosters player Bryan Fletcher calls him Luke Waterhouse.
When the former NRL great tied the knot with Waterhouse at the San Guiseppe Church in Taormina in 2012, he married a fashion-savvy racing heiress.
Since, the couple who are regulars on Sydney’s social scene, have welcomed two daughters.
Peter and Maree Andrews
While Peter Andrews of Haverick Meats has great wealth, his wife Maree’s family is worth billions.
Andrews, a respected luxury public relations and marketing consultant, has been the Chair of the Silver Committee for the past 17 years, overseeing some of Sydney’s biggest charity events.
Nicky Oatley and Jonathan Pearce
Resort Heiress Nicky is the daughter of the late Bob Oatley, whose family is worth is $1.15 billion and while her banker husband Jonathan Pearce has done very well for himself, Nicky is the wealthier one and makes her husband’s income look like small change.
Alina and Scott Barlow
Both regulars on the Sydney social scene and very well liked are Russian heiress Alina Barlow and her husband, Scott Barlow.
Glamorous blonde socialite Alina, the daughter of Russian billionaire David Traktovenko, studied economics in St Petersberg before moving to Sydney to finish her education.
Since, she has founded popular jewellery label Alinka Jewellery. While her husband Scott (aka golden balls) sits on the chair of Sydney FC – the Australian soccer club which is owned by Traktovenko (who made his money in banking back in Russia).
Prior to this, Scott was in finance having held positions in mergers and acquisitions, corporate valuations and corporate strategy at a number of Australian and international companies including AMP, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Telstra.
In 2021, Alina and Scott also sold their Point Piper mansion for $40 million.
Oskar Buhre and Stephanie Conley
Eastern Suburbs woman-about-town Stephanie Conley is a fashionista turned food blogger and the daughter of the late super wealthy aviation pioneer, John Conley. Her venture capitalist husband Oskar is described by those who know him as “a loveable scholar type.” The couple have two children together.
Sally Cowper and Paul Cowper
Sally, the daughter of billionaire Australian businessman Jack Cowin (whose net worth is $4.36 billion), is married to Paul.
However while there’s no denying Paul has “married up” The Sunday Telegraph hears that they have made their own way.
“Jack gives them nothing. And I mean zero. He is not mean, just fair. Happy to help but won’t prop them up. Sally and Jack are a really lovely, humble couple,” a friend says.
Garry Grbavac and Marilynne Paspaley
Pearl heiress Marilynne Paspaley has been married to her “lovely, nice, super funny” husband Garry Grbavac for more than 30 years.
Marilynne is a member of Australia’s first family of pearling, with the Paspaley family worth more than $1.12 billion.
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Originally published as Marrying up: High-profile Aussie men batting above their average
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