Lavish life of Chinese-Australian billionaire accused of being foreign ‘puppeteer’

A Chinese-Australian billionaire who has spent millions on ritzy homes and donations has been accused of being a “puppeteer” in an overseas plot.

Chau Chak Wing has been named in parliament. Picture: Chris Pavlich/REA.

When James Packer sold his $70 million mega-mansion seven years ago, the mystery buyer quickly emerged. It was billionaire Dr Chau Chak Wing who is originally from China and is now an Australian citizen.

Dr Chau has now slammed claims, raised under parliamentary privilege on Monday, that he is the “puppeteer” targeted by ASIO over a foiled foreign interference plot.

He said the allegations were “reckless and baseless”.

The wealthy property investor had previously gifted a $20 million to the University of Technology, to help build the landmark Frank Gehry-designed Dr Chau Chak Wing building.

At the time he purchased James Packer’s La Mer property in Vaucluse in Sydney’s east it was an Australian record as the most expensive residential home ever sold.

Around the same time, he was also emerging as one of Australia’s biggest overseas political donors donating more than $2 million to the Liberal Party and the Labor Party.

Chau Chak Wing leaving the Federal Court, in Sydney in 2018. (AAP Image/Chris Pavlich)

Dr Chau does not read or speak English.

His daughter Winky Chow once worked for Bob Carr and ran the Chinese

language newspaper Australian New Express Daily.

Three years after her father bought Packer’s home, his daughter made her own property moves.

She purchased the Sydney Darling Point trophy home of freight and transport boss Terry Tzaneros for $31.8 million.

Dr Chau Chak Wing bought the $70 million mansion of James Packer in the mid-2010s. Picture: REA.

The lavish home is in

But despite the family’s fondness for Australian real estate, Australia’s parliament has not always been as welcoming.

On Monday night, Dr Chau was named under parliamentary privilege by Victorian senator Kimberley Kitching as the suspected “puppeteer” behind a foiled foreign interference plot to get political candidates elected. The spy agency ASIO claims to have disrupted the plan.

Labor’s Ms Kitching asked the head of ASIO Mike Burgess whether the property developer was the mystery man involved in the alleged plot.

“I am reliably informed that the puppeteer mentioned in your case study in your annual threat assessment speech given last week is Chau Chak Wing.”

Mr Burgess refused to discuss the matter.

Winky Chow bought the

Dr Chau has slammed the allegations.

“I am shocked and disappointed at the baseless and reckless claim made by Senator Kimberley Kitching during a Senate Estimates hearing on Monday,” he said in a statement.

“It is always unfortunate when elected representatives use the shield of parliamentary privilege as a platform to vilify and attack Australian citizens without producing a shred of evidence.

“I am a businessman and philanthropist. I have never had any involvement or interest in interfering with the democratic election process in Australia.

“In 2017, the ABC and Nine journalist Nick McKenzie made a similar allegation in a Four Corners report. The Federal Court subsequently awarded me very substantial damages which I donated to charity.”

Senator Kimberley Kitching made the claim under parliamentary privilege. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Dr Chau Chak Wing has donated millions to Aussie universities. The University of Sydney has recently opened the Chau Chak Wing Museum (above).

Dr Chau was awarded $590,000 after a judge found he was defamed by an ABC program that portrayed him as a Communist Party member.

His lawyers argued the program carried six defamatory imputations including that he “betrayed” his country through espionage, is a member of China’s Communist Party and made enormous donations to influence politicians.

By naming Dr Chau under parliamentary privilege on Monday night, Senator Kitching cannot be sued for defamation.

“I invite Senator Kitching to show some courage and integrity by repeating her claim and revealing the sources she says she relied on, outside the parliament,” Dr Chau added.

A spokesman for Dr Chau said he hasn’t donated any money to either the Liberal Party of the Labor Party since 2016. He is currently living in China and it’s not clear that he has returned to Australia since the pandemic began and Australia’s borders closed.