Skincare business mogul Gry Susann Tomte’s husband Zdravko Bilic found dead on Sunshine Coast

Zdravko Bilic was discovered with multiple stab wounds outside the luxury beachside home he shared with the founder of high-profile Melbourne-based skincare clinic HUD Skin and Body.

A crime scene has been declared after a man was found dead in Warana on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Picture: Patrick Woods

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The husband of a skincare business mogul may have been lying dead with stab wounds for more than 20 hours in the front yard of their multimillion-dollar Sunshine Coast home.

A homicide investigation has been launched after a neighbour discovered Zdravko Bilic unresponsive outside the luxury beachside home he shared with partner Gry Susann Tomte, the founder of high-profile Melbourne-based skincare clinic HUD Skin and Body.

Emergency services were called to the property at Napalle Street in Warana about 7.30pm on Monday and found Mr Bilic lying unresponsive with two stab wounds.

Police declared the 57-year-old dead at the scene, later saying he might have been killed as early as 11pm on Sunday. Detective Inspector Chris Toohey said officers were investigating a number of lines of inquiry, including the possibility Mr Bilic disturbed an attempted break-and-enter.

Zdravko Bilic, left, has been found dead outside his multimillion-dollar Sunshine Coast home, owned by him and skincare mogul wife Gry Susann Tomte, right.

Inspector Toohey would not comment on whether there were any suspects, how many people were potentially involved or if a murder weapon had been recovered. He also refused to comment on whether there were any signs of forced entry into the property.

Police said Ms Tomte was not on the Sunshine Coast at the time of the death but had contacted a neighbour to check on Mr Bilic after she became concerned.

Inspector Toohey said Ms Tomte was going through an “extremely difficult” time following her husband’s death.

Mr Bilic was described as a well-loved and valued member of the community. In a profile piece for the Jasmine Alexa website, Ms Tomte said her husband was “the most supportive human I could ever ask for”.

“It’s not easy living with a perfectionist who lives and breathes work ... but he is the yin to my yang; the calm to my storm,” she said. “Especially being that we have no family here, the two of us have always been a strong unit.”

Ms Tomte, who founded her skincare brand after moving to Melbourne from Norway, is described as an “incredible entrepreneur” who has cultivated a multimillion-dollar business and won countless awards.

She explained that she started the business after developing “pretty bad acne” following her move to Australia.

Ms Tomte said the experience, which lasted 10 years, took a toll on her mentally, and was the “catalyst” for starting her own beauty education.

She said she eventually realised she had “the capacity to change so many people’s lives by making sure they don’t suffer from acne for as long as me – but I can’t do it on my own. So I decided, against everyone’s advice, to open my own clinic.”

HUD Skin and Body has locations in St Kilda and Northcote.

The couple’s home on Tuesday was cordoned off with police tape, with a convertible BMW among two cars parked in the driveway.

Police have appealed for anyone with information or relevant CCTV to come forward and contact police.

Warana is regarded as one of the better areas of the Sunshine Coast, well known for its stunning beaches, up-market homes and community spirit.