Perth broker Tim Roberts demands his share of Bombardier jet sales

Secretive Perth billionaire Tim Roberts has brokered the sale of $3 billion worth of luxury jets for Bombardier since 2009.

Tim Roberts.

Secretive Perth billionaire Tim Roberts — a scion of the late Multi­plex founder John Roberts — has brokered the sale of $3 billion worth of luxury jets for Canadian manufacturer Bombardier since 2009, the West Australian Supreme Court has been told.

Details of the scale of Mr Roberts’ involvement in the sales emerged yesterday as part of a huge damages claim launched by his private company, AVWest Aviation, against Bombardier over a string of soured deals.

Mr Roberts, who made a fortune from the sale of construction company Multiplex in 2007 following the death of his father a year earlier, has made a string of successful investments in property, equities, hedge funds, aquaculture, property and aviation.

But he maintains a low profile, with the only exception being a court case in 2009 in which his former girlfriend was accused of breaking into his Cottesloe home and discovering he was cheating on her with two other women.

AVWest claims it is owed tens of millions by Bombardier, which it accuses of reneging on agreements that had guaranteed Mr Roberts a minimum return for ­aircraft sales.

Mr Roberts entered into an ­arrangement with Bombardier in 2009 under which he would pre-purchase the company’s jets that were yet to enter production and help to find third-party buyers around the world.

His barrister, Andrew Bell SC, told the court the relationship began when Mr Roberts ordered a jet from Bombardier and there was a lengthy delay in production.

Instead of Mr Roberts being compensated for the delay, he ­entered into an arrangement as “a very substantial financier of Bombardier’s business”.

“Over $3bn of aircraft have been sold pursuant to these ­arrangements over the past eight years,” Mr Bell said.

The relationship faltered in late 2014 over three oral agreements between the parties, one of which involved Mr Roberts’ attempts to sell a jet to Westfield founder Frank Lowy and his son David.

According to a writ filed last year, the Lowys were interested in buying one of Bombardier’s new-generation 7000s, but were worried about it being delivered on time. In September 2015, with the 7000 program running behind schedule, the Lowys terminated the agreement.

Bombardier has allegedly refused to reinstate the original deal with Mr Roberts that would allow him to onsell the aircraft.

In the writ, Mr Roberts argues Bombardier owes him $US15.9m over that episode, being the profit he expected from the jet’s resale.

Bombardier has asked the court for the case to be summarily dismissed as certain evidence is inadmissable in Western Australia.

The application before Master Craig Sanderson continues today.