Reporter slams billionaire Adrian Portelli’s ‘vile’ stunt after sparking online comments

A journalist has hit back at Adrian Portelli after the billionaire threw a “tantrum over a nickname” and “unleashed his troll army” on her.

A journalist has hit back at Adrian Portelli after the Melbourne billionaire “unleashed his troll army” and sparked a “swarm of abuse” over the use of a nickname in the headline of an article she wrote. 

In a piece for the Herald Sun, journalist Fiona Byrne said she became bombarded with “vile” comments after Portelli took issue with being referred to as ‘Lambo Guy’ in the headline of an article she wrote about the fallout from the businessman’s latest cash challenge.

Portelli has long been referred to as ‘Lambo Guy’ in the media ever since he arrived at the auction day of the TV show The Block in a Lamborghini in 2022.

Byrne said she did not write or “have anything to do” with the headline.

Fiona Byrne said she became bombarded with “vile” comments after Portelli took issue with being referred to as ‘Lambo Guy. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

MORE: $8m pay out: Portelli’s major Block flop

Taking a swipe at Byrne, Portelli shared a screenshot of her article in a post on his Instagram Stories on Saturday, slamming the use of the nickname. 

“Come on Fiona. You can do better than that. Be respectful and use my real name or I’ll come up with a nickname for you and blast it all over my socials,” he wrote. 

Portelli then shared a second post, inviting his 463,000 followers to bully Byrne and write their “best comment” for a chance to win $5,000.

“If journos wanna bully, let’s bully back,” he wrote. “$5,000 best comment on (Byrne’s) profile.” 

Over the next 24 hours, Byrne said she became inundated with thousands of “demeaning” and “offensive” comments, including some about her weight and appearance.

“I was told to go and jump off a bridge (kill myself), described as a b**** that needed ‘a good left-right’ (punch), threatened with a turkey slap (hit in the face with a penis), and other personal threats,” she wrote. 

Portelli said a screenshot of Byrne’s article on Instagram. Picture: Instagram.

He invited his followers to write their “best” comments about Byrne.

Byrne said the pile-on made her feel unsafe “both online and in real life”.

“Just to make the point very clear, this torrent of harassment was a result of a billionaire having a tantrum over a nickname.”

In a separate video posted on Instagram on Saturday, Portelli hit out at the media over the use of the name.

“I feel like they (media) are subconsciously trying to degrade me by giving me this nickname, (Lambo Guy), and I’m over it,” he said.

“Unfortunately, Fiona copped the brunt of it.”

He said he “just wanted to show the media that I do have a platform as well”.

“I can drive a large amount of traffic and I’m not afraid to use it. So maybe just be a bit more respectful, and I’ll respect you guys.”

Byrne’s initial article reported on a challenge set by Portelli, who offered $50,000 to the first journalist who publicly referred to him by his new preferred moniker: “McLaren Man”.

Popular Nine presenter Alex Cullen took the bait on-air on Friday’s episode of Today and referred to Portelli by his new nickname. Portelli stuck to his word, and soon shared a screenshot of a bank transfer showing he’d sent Cullen $50k for his efforts.

In a statement to news.com.au on Sunday, Cullen’s employer the Nine Network said they had arranged for the money to be returned, had taken Cullen off-air, and were taking the matter “extremely seriously.”

Alex Cullen has been stood down after he accepted a $50,000 prize from Portelli. Picture Today Show

Portelli offered $50,000 to the first journalist who publicly referred to him as “McLaren Man”. Picture: Instagram.

Byrne who – praised Portelli in Monday’s piece as a “Melbourne success story” – has called on the billionaire to “be better” and apologise for the online abuse he sparked.

“Directing your swarm of followers to bombard and abuse someone online for money is appalling,” she wrote. 

“This sort of targeted, deliberate online behaviour can have very serious real-world consequences – we have seen tragic examples of this in the past.

“It causes psychological harm and hurt.”

She suggested the $50,000 afforded to Cullen should be donated to an anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying charity like Dolly’s Dream or the Alannah & Madeline Foundation.

However, Portelli doubled down on his plea for the media’s respect, sharing a scathing response to Byrne’s article on social media on Monday.

“More people need to take a stand against media professionals behaving unethically,” he wrote.

“It’s time for you to have a taste of your own medicine. No bullying here. Just making a point that it’s not nice to refer to someone as a nickname they’ve told you not to use politely.”

Online promotions guru Portelli has become a well-known Australian public figure in recent years, thanks in no small part to his antics during the past three finales of The Block.

He outdid himself during the show’s 2024 season finale, buying all five Block houses at auction.

News.com.au has contacted Adrian Portelli for comment.

Originally published as Reporter slams billionaire Adrian Portelli’s ‘vile’ stunt after sparking online comments