A Sydney beauty entrepreneur locked in an ugly court dispute with one of Australia’s richest men, tech founder Richard White, has claimed he expected her to enter into a sexual relationship in exchange for investing in her business.
Affidavits filed in support of Linda Rogan’s Federal Court bid to set aside a bankruptcy notice, issued to her by White on August 15, detail her account of the disintegration of her relationship with the WiseTech co-founder.
Linda Rogan, left, Richard White, and White’s girlfriend Zena Nasser.Credit: Nick Moir, Oscar Colman, Supplied
Rogan, a former Real Housewives of Sydney contender, claimed White bought a $13 million Vaucluse mansion in September 2022 for her to live in with her children. The bankruptcy fight relates to $92,123 allegedly paid for furniture for the luxury property.
White asked Rogan to hire an interior decorator and a builder for renovations for the property and told her she would live there “forever, even if I’m not with you”, she said.
But Rogan claimed White’s girlfriend, former criminal defence lawyer Zena Nasser, found out about the clandestine relationship in October 2022, and she never moved into the Vaucluse home. Nasser reportedly welcomed a child with White in July this year via surrogacy.
The Instagram messages
It was Nasser who introduced the pair, Rogan claimed. She said Nasser contacted her via Instagram in June 2022.
Screenshots of Instagram messages, annexed to Rogan’s affidavit, appear to show Nasser messaged Rogan and said she was “stunning” and asked where she got the top she was wearing in a post.
An Instagram message allegedly sent by Zena Nasser to Linda Rogan, annexed to an affidavit filed by Rogan in the Federal Court.Credit: Federal Court of Australia
Rogan, the owner of laser clinics in Double Bay, Cairns and St Lukes in New Zealand, said she met Nasser at her upmarket wellness clinic Bionik Wellness in Rose Bay in July 2022. Rogan said she sold her stake in Bionik Wellness in February this year.
“At this meeting Zena Facetimed Richard White, who I understood to be her partner and introduced me to Richard over Facetime,” Rogan said in her affidavit dated September 12.
The Sydney dinner
“In August 2022, Zena invited me to dinner with Richard and herself at [Sydney eatery] Bambini Trust. During dinner Richard said words to me to the effect of, ‘I’m an entrepreneur. I have a company, WiseTech. I’m a billionaire.’”
Rogan said that she and White began to exchange text messages after that dinner.
“When I met Richard, I genuinely believed he was interested in investing in my business. I was separated from my husband, caring for three children and my teenage son had only recently suffered a devastating brain injury. After a few weeks I realised Richard was pursuing a sexual relationship,” Rogan said.
‘When I met Richard, I genuinely believed he was interested in investing in my business.’
Linda Rogan in an affidavit filed in the Federal Court.
“On 17 September I travelled to New York at the request of Richard. Richard arranged my flights. When I arrived at the Park Lane Hotel to check in, I was informed that only 1 suite had been arranged.
“I realised that Richard expected me to enter into a sexual relationship with him to fulfil the promise that he would invest in my business. So I stayed with Richard in his suite and our relationship became sexual.”
Rogan said in the affidavit that she separated from her husband in 2017, but they remained living together to raise their children and had not separated their marital assets.
She alleged White took an interest in her Bionik Wellness business from the start but told her words to the effect of, “I invest in founders, not businesses” and “we need to get your partners out”, including her husband.
Rogan said she also exchanged WhatsApp messages with White in August 2022, and he said words to the effect of: “I want to make you and your business massively successful – that’s how you can repay me … financial freedom is empowering. And life is short – so I want you to double down and build this thing.”
Rogan said she had dinner with White in August 2022 and White told her that he had “purchased an apartment for Zena to live in. I can purchase a property for you and your children to live in too.
“I will own the property, and you would pay rent from the salary from the newly formed company which would own Bionik Wellness. Your salary would be at least $1 million a year in order to cover the market rent and all the distributions from the business.”
The business deal with White did not eventuate, Rogan said.
The allegations in Rogan’s affidavit have not yet been tested in court.
White’s estimated fortune is $11.6 billion, according to The Australian Financial Review’s 2024 Rich List. He was ranked 11, ahead of Seven’s Kerry Stokes ($11.3 billion). Most of his wealth comes from WiseTech Global, which he co-founded in 1994.
Rogan was touted last year as a potential cast member on The Real Housewives of Sydney, but the TV deal did not proceed.
The bankruptcy fight is listed for a preliminary hearing in the Federal Court in Sydney on October 15 before Justice Nye Perram.
During an earlier hearing relating to the suppression of limited parts of Rogan’s affidavits, the court heard Rogan would argue the bankruptcy notice issued by White to her over the $92,000 was “actuated by malice and is an abuse of process” because it had been issued for a collateral purpose.
In a legal letter on September 11, annexed to an affidavit filed in court by White’s solicitor, Rogan’s lawyer, Kate MacDonald, alleged the bankruptcy notice was issued in the context of “our clients’ former sexual relationship being discovered by Ms Nasser”.
White’s lawyer, Justin Betar, responded in a letter on September 14 that “the accusations concerning the bankruptcy notice … are denied”.
A bankruptcy notice is a formal demand for payment of at least $10,000 that may be made following a court order. A person has 21 days to comply with one. If they fail to do so, they have committed an act of bankruptcy.
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