‘Billi FitzSimon’s new job is nepotism’

The internet lost its mind when Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimon’s daughter Billi landed a plum new job – and the backlash was more than fair.

OPINION

This week the internet lost its mind over Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons’ daughter Billi FitzSimons, because she was appointed as the editor of The Daily Aus before her 25th birthday.

It’s undeniably an incredible achievement. If we were still using the phrase girl boss, I’d dub Billi one for sure.

Billi FitzSimons is the daughter of television presenter Lisa Wilkinson. Picture: Bianca De Marchi/AAP

Billi’s has landed a new job as editor of The Daily Aus. Picture: Paul Miller/AAP

Naturally, her appointment has kicked off a larger conversation about nepotism.

Many people on the internet declare that she doesn’t deserve the job, and she’s only secured the gig because of her parents.

That feels like a bridge too far. Yes, Billi has undoubtedly had more opportunities than the average person, and that undeniably would have helped her secure this gig, but that doesn’t mean she also doesn’t work hard and isn’t incredibly talented.

But nepotism played a part as well.

Because two things can be true at once. Billi can be both someone that has benefited from nepotism and still be someone deserving of her new gig.

Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons with their children Billi, Jake, and Louis. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

To a certain extent, most of us have benefited from nepotism, or at least privilege. I grew up in a middle-class household with two parents that filled my childhood with books and supported my higher education.

That security and support has ultimately led me to have a secure job in a highly competitive industry. I lucked out. But am I also a good writer? Yes.

The same kind of leg up is true for Billi, except she has a few extras on her side. Her parents both have extensive profiles and are highly connected and, naturally, she’s benefited from that. Does that mean she still hasn’t had to work hard and prove herself? No.

Let’s face it there are plenty of offspring of wealthy and successful people that have had every door open for them and somehow haven’t managed to walk through them.

Still, when the backlash over Billi kicked off, both Wilkinson and FitzSimons didn’t want to acknowledge their daughter’s nepotism, and instead, they doubled down on how talented and hardworking Billi was and refused to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

The elephant is that when Billi finished university, and all of her friends were applying for jobs, she started at the women’s website Mamamia. It’s no coincidence that the founder of Mamamia, Mia Freedman, is friends with her mum.

Obviously, Billi worked hard in that role, proved herself and moved on to even more fabulous things. But her parents probably got her in the door, and plenty of talented and amazing journalists are just desperately looking, still knocking furiously, hoping someone will help them get that door open.

In so many ways, this reminds me of when Kylie Jenner was dubbed a “self-made billionaire”. The entire internet lost its mind. Why? Not because anyone doubted that Jenner was a savvy businesswoman but because people were just desperate for her to admit her privilege, to acknowledge that the context she grew up in gave her a head start.

Kylie Jenner has worked hard … and benefited from having rich, famous parents. Picture: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Netflix.

But I get it. Who wants to have to acknowledge their own privilege? We all want to believe that we’ve had the success we’ve had because of our talent and hard work.

But the truth is the world isn’t fair, and there’s so much more at play. The fact that I’m white and from a middle-class background has always meant it has been easier for me to seize opportunities and for opportunities to arise.

So, while I think Billi and her family should be gobbling down some champagne to celebrate her new role, I also believe it can be a moment to reflect, to acknowledge the privileged life that has allowed Billi to be able to snag such a notable role before she turns 25.

Mary Madigan is a freelance writer.