Inside Aussie billionaire’s lavish party to win Donald Trump over

Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt is hosting a massive bash at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate this weekend in his latest move to renew his relationship with the President-elect.

Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt is hosting 700 people for a party at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate this weekend in his latest move to renew his relationship with the President-elect.

But it remains unclear whether Mr Trump himself will have time to make an appearance in the grand ballroom at his Florida home, given he is also due to attend the Army-Navy college football game in Maryland on Saturday afternoon (local time).

Mr Pratt’s guests – mostly customers of his cardboard box empire – are expected to dine on steak and lobster and be entertained by Grammy Award-winning country singer Lee Greenwood, whose hit God Bless the USA was Mr Trump’s campaign theme song.

“I’m very excited about the event because we’ll be hosting 700 of our top customers. It’s a salute to America’s food industry,” Mr Pratt said.

US President Donald Trump (C) speaks as Global Chairman of Pratt/Visy Industries Anthony Pratt (L) and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison look on during a visit to Pratt Industries plant opening in Wapakoneta, Ohio on September 22, 2019. Picture: AFP

His guest of honour is Sonny Perdue, who served as the Secretary of Agriculture during Mr Trump’s first term and has known the billionaire for two decades, dating back to Mr Pratt’s time living in Georgia where Mr Perdue was the state’s governor.

The billionaire, who is Australia’s biggest employer and investor in America, announced after Mr Trump’s stunning return to power that he had received a green card and would be moving permanently to the US.

He donated $US10m to the Republican’s campaign just days before last month’s election in which the former president defeated Vice President Kamala Harris.

During Mr Trump’s first term in the White House, Mr Pratt secured a $US200,000 membership to his Mar-a-Lago private club, giving him prized access to the president that was later revealed in a series of secretly recorded conversations.

Aerial view of Mar-a-Lago, the oceanfront estate of Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida. Picture: Getty

Mr Trump was also accused of sharing America’s nuclear submarine secrets with the Australian at Mar-a-Lago. Mr Pratt was interviewed by federal investigators as part of a probe into Mr Trump’s mishandling of classified files after he left office.

The allegations were rejected by Mr Trump last year as he attacked Mr Pratt as a “red headed weirdo”.

The Australian is now seeking to restore their close ties, and plans to attend the President-elect’s annual black tie gala at Mar-a-Lago on New Year’s Eve as well.

Mr Pratt hosted another star-studded Christmas party last weekend in New York, with guests including former prime minister Tony Abbott and former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, both of whom have been on his payroll as advisers.

Anthony Pratt (2nd L) arrives for the 2024 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024, in New York. Picture: AFP

They were briefly entertained by comedian Chris Rock before he stormed out in the middle of his set, reportedly because he noticed someone filming him.

Originally published as Inside Aussie billionaire’s lavish party to win Donald Trump over