This was published 2 years ago
Cannon-Brookes cuts family ties with elite Sydney school
By Lucy Manly
Cranbrook School is one of Sydney’s most elite institutions and has educated some of the Harbour City’s biggest names including casino magnate and publishing heir James Packer (and his father Kerry), former Nine boss David Gyngell and Caledonia chief investment officer Will Vicars.
Mike and Annie Cannon-Brookes are fast becoming property tycoons with rumours theyre moving to the Southern Highlands.
But Emerald City is told billionaire software boss and Cranbrook old boy Mike Cannon-Brookes and his wife Annie plan to remove their sons from Cranbrook in Bellevue Hill and enrol all four children at Tudor House in Moss Vale, part of The King’s School.
Given the couple’s extensive property portfolio in the Southern Highlands - which includes six homes totalling about $50 million - the move could be a wise escape from Sydney after two years of COVID restrictions.
Just last month the couple purchased one of the area’s most prominent properties, Wattle Ridge, for an estimated $13 million.
A prominent eastern suburbs identity told Emerald City the move was a huge loss for Cranbrook given the grandeur of the family name and their potential philanthropy.
Cannon-Brookes did not wish to comment when contacted by Emerald City.
The Herald revealed in April that Atlassian’s other co-founder, Scott Farquhar, was involved in a plan for the 103-year-old Cranbrook School to admit girls for the first time, which the school is still understood to be considering. Farquhar’s sons are also believed to attend Cranbrook.
Comedy gold as driver gets bogged outside rich lister home
The well-heeled residents of Palm Beach were given a rude shock during Thursday evening sundowners. A Mercedes ute with the number plate MR GOLD got into a spot of bother when driving along the sand and getting bogged.
It’s not known who was behind the wheel but a Palm Beach resident told Emerald City it took the driver 20 minutes to get their car off the beach and the scene would not have impressed locals.
A driver with the licence plate number MR GOLD got into a spot of bother outside Laurie Sutton’s beachfront property.
“Neighbours would have been outraged if it wasn’t so embarrassing for the driver!” the bystander said.
The exclusive enclave is home (or home away from home) for many wealthy Sydneysiders including architects-turned-property developers Susan and Garry Rothwell, the Packers and the Cannon-Brookes.
Of all places for the embarrassing mishap to take place, it was right next to the surf club and outside Kalua, the palatial and priciest property in Palmy owned by retired car dealer and one of Sydney’s most prolific property traders, Laurie Sutton of Sutton Motors.
Lee Levi set tongues wagging at the 78th Venice Film Festival.Credit: Getty
Levi sets tongues wagging
After settling into Sydney society before splitting from her now ex-fiancé Eitan Neishlos, Danish-Israeli model and actress Lee Levi is trying to take Europe by storm.
In July, Ms Levi fled Sydney and has spent the last two months travelling to France, Denmark, and recently Italy where she attended the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of her new film, American Night.
The neo-noir thriller includes an impressive cast including Golden Globe-winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Elvis) and Emile Hirsch (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
But Levi and her co-star Jeremy Piven (Entourage) set tongues wagging during their appearance at the 78th festival, with sources saying the pair were “very close” during their trip to the city of canals.
In July Emerald City revealed the 28-year-old had split from Neishlos, with the pair in a dispute over the future custody of their French bulldog Mylee.
The blonde bombshell is believed to be staying in Denmark before launching skincare brand PURELEE into Selfridges in London, before returning to Sydney in December.
Pearson emerges after snorting scandal
The former BFF behind Nadia Bartel’s “plate-snorting” video has made a quiet return to social media after her headline-making slip up. Ellie Pearson, a former AFL WAG and business partner with Bartel, disabled her Instagram account hours after the video footage went viral only to re-emerge three weeks later.
The social media slip up is understood to have drawn a wedge within Bartel’s inner-circle.Credit: instagram
In the weeks since the saga, Pearson, who co-owns SprayAus and works as an executive assistant at a Melbourne media company, is understood to have kept a low profile after the incident drew a wedge within the tight-knit circle of friends. Despite the drama, Pearson’s 8429 Instagram followers still includes Bartel.
In the days following the furore, Emerald City revealed a cracked phone screen and slip of the finger was behind the video being shared to social media instead of the intended recipient, Ellie’s sister Bonnie.
The incident resulted in Bartel getting dropped by some of her sponsors as well as copping a hefty fine for breaching public health orders.
Bartel and three others were issued a penalty infringement notice for failing to comply with a requirement in relation to a private or public gathering at a total of $5452 each.
Pearson did not respond to Emerald City’s requests for comment.
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