Lindsay Fox reflects on life ahead of his 87th birthday party at his Essendon Fields Airport hangar

The Linfox patriarch says he was “brought up with a family that was probably 100 per cent Labor” and he says his political leanings are now influenced by one factor.

Lindsay Fox says he wants to be remembered as an Aussie battler.

On the eve of his 87th birthday, the Linfox patriarch has reflected on life’s ups and downs, family tragedy and what keeps him trucking.

“You can’t go wrong doing right,” is just one of the maxims and life values Fox upholds. Some phrases like “you never go broke by giving,” are eloquent, others like having “big balls” to make big decisions and take risks a tad cruder.

But that’s Lindsay Fox in a nutshell for you.

Lindsay Fox has reflected on life’s ups and downs, family tragedy and what keeps him trucking. Picture: Valeriu Campan

On Friday the Fox family leader will hold one of his famous celebrations for his close friends at his Essendon Fields Airport hangar.

He tried to shave the 150 guest list but couldn’t. Such is Fox’s devotion to his friends with “trust, integrity and loyalty” his ‘T. I. L’ method at the core of all aspects of his life.

Speaking to Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra for a special Business Voice podcast before his birthday milestone, Fox opened up about how his close network of friends have helped guide him through his business growth.

“I’ve been fortunate that I’ve had a group of people all my life that I could classify as first class friends,” Fox told the VCCI podcast, out on Thursday.

Fox will celebrate his 87th birthday with a party on Friday. Picture: Aaron Francis

“I can honestly say if I had to pick my best friends I’d be struggling because there’s so many.”

He never had a mentor believing he wanted to do things his way “or the highway”.

But it is Fox’s deep all encompassing love for his children and wife Paula that has propelled his passion and guided his ambition.

“We have had four boys and two girls,” Fox said.

Lindsay and Paula Fox at the 2023 NGV Gala. Picture: David Caird

“One of the boys took his own life when he fell out of his relationship with the woman. That made them a lot closer so that they could talk openly about good times and bad times.”

Fox said losing his son Michael in 1991 to suicide was “the biggest kick in the arse I’ve ever had.”

He went on to advise the Federal and Victorian government on youth suicide and went on the board of the National Advisory Council on Suicide Prevention.

“But one of these aspects of negatives is positives come from it,” he said. “The way the kids unified with one another, it was exceptionally good.

“I now let them take most of the role of running the business and I never want to be in a situation where I’m competing against my kids or my kids are competing against me.”

When it comes to politics Fox says he doesn’t pick favourites – instead voting for Australia.

“I have no preference for Labor or Liberal. My preference is for Australia and for the politicians to do things in the interest of this great nation that we live in.

“I was brought up with a family that was probably 100 per cent Labor, but working class. And all of those things taught me that you’ve just got to get amongst a good group of people and adopt that attitude of “you can’t go wrong doing right.”