A Melbourne businessman is copping backlash over an “obscene” display of wealth during a time when so many Aussies are struggling.
Skyrocketing inflation and rate rises combined with the worsening housing and rental crisis means millions of Australians are having to severely cut back on spending just to keep a roof over their heads and feed their families.
But 34-year-old Adrian Portelli is facing a very different set of problems – like how best to get his $3 million car into his $39 million penthouse.
The entrepreneur and tech businessman attracted a lot of attention recently when he hired a crane to lift his McLaren Senna GTR the 57 floors to the top of Melbourne’s Sapphire by the Gardens building on Exhibition Street.
The entire side of the building had to be deconstructed to make way for the car.
The car, fitted out with racing decals, will not be driven and instead act as the apartment’s “centrepiece”.
Portelli first made headlines when after bidding $4.5 million to buy his first-ever home on The Block’s Season 18 in November.
He told the Herald Sun the car was just “collecting dust” as its unable to be registered to drive in Australia anyway.
Portelli shared pictures of the crane process to his Instagram, saying the younger version of him would be “so proud”.
“If I can motivate and inspire people to want to succeed, my job is done because I understand how hard and lonely it is on the pursuit of success,” he wrote.
However, there were many Aussies that felt anything but “motivated” by the 34-year-old’s display, with many branding the move “gross”, “tasteless” and “obscene” amid the cost of living crisis.
One Facebook user noted there was a lot wealthy people could do to make a big change in the lives of people who are struggling.
“Then you get someone like this. Can it get any more gross?” they asked.
Another said: “This is why we have inflation. The rich get richer, the rest of us carry the load. Lets have a discussion about fairly taxing the super rich and spreading equality of wealth. If not, watch economies crash all around the world.”
A Reddit post on Portelli also sparked hundreds of comments from outraged Aussies.
“Nobody should have this sort of money,” one person said.
Another branded the move the “epitome of what is wrong with the world today”.
Green’s leader Adam Bandt also weighed in on the drama, tweeting: “Labor’s giving this guy a $9000 tax cut while people starve on $52 a day”.
The Albanese government’s decision not to roll back Stage 3 tax cuts for the rich brought in by the Morrison government — and supported by Labor — has caused an uproar in recent days.
This means high income earners are set to get thousands in tax relief next year, with workers earning over $200,000 to get a whopping $9000 a year tax cut.
By comparison, this year’s budget included a $20 a week increase for Australians on welfare, such as those receiving Jobseeker, Youth Allowance and Austudy.
ANU Professor and columnist, Mark Kenny, branded the move “typically tasteless”.
“Why do media keep implicitly lauding such obscene displays of wealth and ego?” he asked.
Head of consumer research at Finder, Graham Cooke, told news.com.au that big displays of wealth can seem “out of touch when nearly half of renters tell Finder that they are struggling to keep a roof over their heads”.
“Flaunting expensive possessions or lavish lifestyles can sometimes unintentionally come across as insensitive or tone-deaf.”
Finder’s Cost of Living Report 2023 found nearly one in three Aussies have asked friends or family for financial help in the past 12 months.
Though Mr Cooke said this is not to say people should be ashamed of their wealth or success.
“It’s natural to want to enjoy spending earned money and indulging in the occasional luxury – and remember, the crane driver likely has a family to support too – but it is important to be mindful,” he said.
“Not everyone has the same opportunities or resources.”
Despite the backlash, there were those that defended Portelli, saying he has every right to use his money as he see’s fit and accusing others of being “jealous”.
“All the cranky people are just jealous that they can’t fit a million dollar supercar into their homes for decoration,” one Facebook user said.
“I don’t see the problem here, the guys got to do what he wants to do. Good on him,” another person wrote.
One person even claimed those who were upset needed to look at “the bigger picture”, noting all the people that would have received a big payday to complete the project.
“We need these people with money’s to spend that’s how the economy works,” they said.
Portelli is believed to have a net worth of $350 million, making his fortune through tech start-up in Los Angeles.
The car enthusiast now works in online promotions from Melbourne where he runs the LMCT+ business that he started in 2018.
In August last year, he reportedly bought a Gold Coast mansion for $2.3m.