Alex Waislitz hits the Crown Casino roof for Save a Child’s Heart charity

Alex Waislitz is hosting an all-star bash at Melbourne’s Crown Casino in support of his favourite charity. Picture: Aaron Francis

It’s set to be something of a family affair when colourful billionaire Alex Waislitz gathers his nearest and dearest on the rooftop of James Packer’s Crown casino in Melbourne tonight to shake the tin for his favourite Israeli not for profit, Save a Child’s Heart.

Fresh from his Waislitz Family Foundation donating $1 million to bushfire victims last month, the Thorney Investments founder has leveraged his network to support SACH, a non-political and non-religious group working to improve the quality of paediatric cardiac care for children in developing nations.

Crown resorts owner James Packer in Melbourne. Picture: Aaron Francis

A who’s who have shelled out $15,000 for a table at the bash at Crown’s Aviary event space, with 35 tables sold in support of Waislitz’s worthy cause. The businessman sold 30 them himself.

Rebekah Behbahani, the mother of Waislitz’s two month-old baby daughter Storm, is set to be there, with Margin Call hearing Waislitz has welcomed his fourth child with open arms in between his recent bouts of international travel, including to ski in Aspen and watch the Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

Storm is little sister to Waislitz’s three children with former wife Heloise Pratt, the daughter of late box king Richard Pratt.

Israeli entrepreneur Shelly Hod-Moyal (left) and business partner Mor Assia. Picture: Britta Campion.

Happily, we hear that Storm will soon also have a new cousin, with Behbahani’s Real Housewives of Melbourne sister Venus Behbahani pregnant and due later this year.

The night will raise about $500,000 for SACH, which has been a favourite of the billionaire’s for the past decade. In 2012 he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa to raise money for the group.

Waislitz has persuaded Antony “The Cat” Catalano, with whom he owns Australian Community Media, to donate two nights at his Byron Bay Raes on Wategos luxury beachfront hotel for the charity auction.

Also along will be more members of the Waislitz clan, including his sister Hedy and brother Avee, as well as Shelly Hod Moyal, a founder of Waislitz’s favourite all-female Israeli venture capital investment firm known as iAngels.

Also in the audience will be Smorgon scion David Smorgon and other members of the family clan who work in Jack and Robert Smorgon’s Escor Group, as well as Arnold Bloch Leibler partner Jeremy Leibler and Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce chair Leon Kempler.

Alex Waizlitz with Rebekah Behbahani in 2018. Picture: David Geraghty.

The fund manager ranks will be headed by Rich Listers Peter Cooper and David Paradice, while the broking fraternity will be led by Waislitz’s favourite Bell Potter broker Hugh Robertson and his family, along with Robertson’s long-time backer, Melbourne IVF founder John McBain.

Waislitz has also managed to get most of his investee companies to stump up for a table so their CEO ranks are well represented.

They include the likes of new Credit Clear boss Brenton Glaister, Dubber’s Steve McGovern, Mesoblast’s Silviu Itescu, Service Stream’s Leigh Mackender, PSC Insurance deputy chair Paul Dwyer and boss David Robinson.