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How a little-known entrepreneur amassed a $100 million-plus property portfolio
Apr 3, 2023
How a little-known entrepreneur amassed a $100 million-plus property portfolio Sydney
By   Lucy Macken
  • City News
  • Property Portfolio
  • Property Portfolio
  • Residential
Abstract: Software and IT recruitment businessman Sukender Jain made his debut on Title Deeds this week thanks to his purchase of Mosman's Queen Anne Commonwealth mansion Urunga for more than $19 million.

The founder of IT specialist recruitment firm Interpro has managed to keep a low profile until now, which is somewhat surprising considering the vast property portfolio that Jain and his corporate interests have amassed over the past 20 years, and that was before he swapped Mosman homes with antique collector Edmund Braude.

 

Among the more noteworthy properties - totalling well over $100 million - are a 12-hectare estate in Kenthurst, a golf course in Kurrajong, arable land in Belrose and Terrey Hills, the old Bank of New South Wales building in Sussex Street, some 15 flats and three historic terraces at Millers Point.

 

Nick Gittoes and Anthony Godson of Atlas declined to disclose the exact sale price or confirm Jain's purchase, saying only that the buyers were trustees acting on behalf of a beneficiary.

 

Jain is far from the only property investor of this size in Sydney. Who can forget developer Wong Jing's 30-year-old son William Wu's more than $100 million spree at Vaucluse and Bellevue Hill in the wake of the pandemic?

 

Tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes remains arguably the most bullish of Sydney's property accumulators, with more than $300 million to his name and corporate interests, while his Atlas co-founder Scott Farquhar late last year spent more than $300 million on just one of Point Piper's house alone cost $130 million.

 

A week after Patrick Willmott, 36, was convicted in connection with one of Australia's biggest corporate tax frauds, estimated to be worth $105 million, there is some good news for his long-separated wife Laura Willmott.

 

The UK-based Laura recently listed her holiday home in Lake Macquarie for $1.5 million and, according to Sally Wrigley of Ellejayne Real Estate, it was acquired by a buyer from Sydney for that price on Friday.

 

Laura had nothing to do with the fraud, but Patrick was found guilty in the Supreme Court of New South Wales of conspiring with others to dishonestly cause loss to the Commonwealth and conspiring to deal with more than $1 million as the proceeds of crime.

 

Patrick's childhood friend Adam Cranston, as well as he and his sister Lauren Cranston, lawyer Dev Menon and former professional skier Jason Ainley were also found guilty in March.

 

Laura had tried to sell the Bonnells Bay house for $1.005 million in 2018, but when the ATO demanded $1.35 million from the sale proceeds, the sale was cancelled and the deposit was returned.

 

Sapphire Beach would be the ideal pristine white sand area if a contender could knock Byron Bay off its high-end pedestal. It lies north of Coffs Harbour, home to the likes of bankrupt mining magnate Nathan Tinkler, Chris Joannou of the Silver Chairs and singer Wendy Matthews, and is a close neighbour of Russell Crowe.

 

For a limited time, IBT boss Floris de Kort and his husband Nick Bohringer were also local homeowners, with their beachfront home built within four blocks of 63 metres of absolute waterfront with a gym, spa and 20-metre swimming pool.

 

De Kort, who recently stepped down as chief executive of British business technology company Xplor, listed it with James McCowan and David Medina at Sotheby's for around $6 million ahead of the auction on 15 May.

 

Meanwhile, in Byron Bay, Justin Hemmes bought his Belongil Beach holiday home for $16 million, after it was quietly sold by local Sotheby's team on behalf of Stephen Hains and actor Jane Badler.

 

Property tycoon Terry Agnew listed his Ewingsdale property for a guide price of $3.5 million through McGrath's Will Phillips ahead of the 29 April auction.

 

Award-winning film and television composer Anthony Patos is arguably one of the latest victims of the rapid gentrification of Kings Cross, having been forced to sell the once grey neighbourhood due to soaring land tax valuations.

 

Built in the 1880s as a gentleman's residence and saved from demolition by the 1970s green ban, Carrara was purchased by Patos and his supersonic music production studio partners in 2007.

 

It was within this magnificent Victorian enclosure that Patos produced some of his best work, the last of which was Animal Kingdom, for which local Jackie Weaver was nominated for an Academy Award.

 

In 2010 it became home to a children's rock school, which brought together the drumming, guitar and keyboard talents of hundreds of children over the following years until it was forced to close at the end of last year.

 

"The land tax on it is insane. It was half the rent, and if I still used it as a creative arts centre I made enquiries to get a discount, but it was a rejection." Patos said his most recent TV production was The Last King of King's Cross, inspired by the autobiography of another local man, John Ibrahim.

 

Richardson & Wrench's Jason Boon is asking for about $6 million.

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How a little-known entrepreneur amassed a $100 million-plus property portfolio
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