Gold Dinner guests dig deep for a cause; Wollemi Capital attracts heavy hitters
The Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation threw its annual Gold Dinner at Sydney’s Town Hall on Thursday evening, a strictly invitation-only outing where 500 guests walked a cobalt yellow carpet – its theme this year drawing on the yellow brick road of The Wizard of Oz.
But there was no sign of any scarecrows or cowardly lions – or fiendish cats, as seen at the Met Gala this week. Still, there was an abundance of heart, and extremely deep pockets. Bringing the coin were Seven Group boss Ryan Stokes, billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart and Quadrant CEO Michael Davie. The star-dust was provided by actor Claudia Karvan, while the Stenmark twins, Jordan and Zac, were there, too, of course. They’re everywhere.
NSW Premier Chris Minns did the rounds along with that other former NSW Labor premier, Kristina Keneally, attending in her capacity as the chief executive of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, her first as its lead. Heiress Francesca Packer, socialite Skye Leckie and Nine Entertainment boss Mike Sneesby were also sighted.
The Gold Dinner’s organising committee, co-chaired by millionaire ragtrader Linda Penn and her son Josh Penn, were setting their ambitions high this year, the aim being to obliterate last year’s fundraising record of almost $10m. One insider told Margin Call that $15m felt achievable.
Penn told us he’d been quietly hoping to nudge out the Met Gala’s 2022 tally of $US17.4m. At $3000 a ticket, or $33,000 for a table, that goal was already off to a decent start, with the money being raised this year for the Kookaburra Centre at Westmead Children’s Hospital. Since inception in 1997 it’s raised more than $39m.
Hence why the Town Hall’s ceiling was bedecked in laughing golden kookaburras. Before the gala affair even kicked off attendees were enjoined to bid on silent auction items, including holiday experiences in Paris, Aspen and Mexico. On our last inspection, Earl Evans, co-CEO of Shaw and Partners – a platinum partner – was out in front for a Sydney Swans game day experience.
Punters pile in
Green, it seems, is the new investment black.
Just ask a who’s who of rich-listers who have sunk millions of fresh money into Wollemi Capital, run by former Macquarie Capital boss Tim Bishop and ex-Boston Consulting Group venture capitalist Paul Hunyor.
The pair founded their global climate specialist investment firm about 18 months ago and Margin Call understands their recently completed capital raising attracted some A-league names on the corporate roster.
Bishop and Hunyor didn’t get back to us by deadline, but we’re hearing that heiress Gretel Packer has tipped in serious dinero, as has millionaire Reserve Bank director Carol Schwartz via her Trawalla family office. Her husband Alan Schwartz has a seat on the Wollemi Capital board.
Documents show that the clutch of deep-pocketed backers have paid $30.7m for their partly-paid investor shares, with more to come, potentially, if the founders call for more capital.
Others joining the green venture include the Toga Group’s Ervin and Charlotte Vidor, poker machine scion Geoff Ainsworth and Caledonia Investments co-founder Mark Nelson and his wife Louise.
Also on board is Seek and Square Peg co-founder Paul Bassett and his wife Sharon, former Macquarie Bank CEO Nicholas Moore and wife Lydia, Link chair Michael Carapiet and his wife Helen, and coffee bean heiress Clelia Cantarella.
Butter me up
Liberal deputy Sussan Ley had a dig at Anthony Albanese on Twitter this week, posting a clip of him telling parliament that “it’s been a good 10 months”.
What the PM was referring to wasn’t exactly clear in the video (because it had been mischievously snipped to remove that context). But not to worry. With some news chyrons of Australians suffering under cost of living pressures and a minor-key piano track, Ley’s point was obvious enough.
“@AlboMP says it’s been a ‘good 10 months.’ Maybe for him,” Ley wrote. “Riding choppers to billionaires’ BBQs, getting VIP tickets to concerts/tennis & partying at million-dollar weddings in ritzy mansions. Anthony Albanese promised to ‘leave no one behind’ but Australians are struggling.”
It was relatively tame for an opposition attack, but it turns out the pot-shot drew some blood with the prime minister’s office. They went as far as filing a complaint with the federal parliament’s Sergeant-at-Arms’ Office. This while Albo is in London for the King’s coronation.
Ley’s officials received a request that the tweet be taken down because the clip was “used out of context” and breached an arcane subsection of a rulebook that requires “a balanced presentation of differing views”. Turns out this is the second time she’s held Albo’s feet to the fire using that footage, with a previous complaint also noted – but so far no removal of the offending tweet.
The PM’s media team, arguably the laziest and least helpful in the history of recent administrations, was contacted for comment. As was Ley’s office. We did hear back from a senior Liberal, who said: “It’s a bit sad that the Prime Minister’s office has found time to complain to the Parliament about this video. If the PMO doesn’t like their boss’s unacceptable hubris … and his deceitfulness in breaking the promise to ‘leave no one behind’, then they need to take it up with him directly.”
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