Bob Ell

Bob Ell
Born

William Robert Ell[1]
circa 1945 (age 7071)


Merriwa, New South Wales

Residence Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Nationality Australian
Occupation Property developer
Net worth Increase A$1.29 bn (2014 BRW)[2]
Increase US$1.10 bn (2014 Forbes)[3]
Spouse(s)
  • (dis.)
  • Brigit Ell
Children 5

William Robert ("Bob") Ell (born circa 1945[2][3]) is an Australian property developer and businessman with interests in residential, retail, commercial and industrial property.[3]

Biography

Ell, a former carpenter[4] who was born in Merriwa in the Hunter region in New South Wales,[5] founded Leda Group, a privately owned property development company in 1976. The company's head office is located in Sydney; and it has business interests in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.[6] Included in Ell's property portfolio are residential developments at Pimpama, Queensland; and at Cobaki Lakes, and Kings Forest, New South Wales. He has raised plans to develop a cruise ship terminal, including three liner berths plus a superyacht marina, three resorts and an option for a casino at Tugun.[7] Ell has commercial property interests in shopping centres at Ipswich Riverlink, Victoria Point and Morayfield in Queensland; and at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome in Canberra.[2] In 2012 it was reported that Leda had developed properties worth a total of more than A$3 billion since Ell established the group in 1976.[8]

Ell floated Leda on the Australian Stock Exchange in the late 1980s and privatised the company in 1990.[9][10]

In 2009 it was reported that Ell acted as a surety for Michael McGurk and provided A$100,000 in bail for firebombing and assault charges against McGurk; with the charges subsequently dropped.[4][11][12] Following the 2009 murder of McGurk, Ell issued a statement detailing his business and personal relationship with McGurk,[1] including an alleged interest in the Crest Hotel, located in Sydney's Kings Cross.[13] Ell had a longstanding dispute with Greens Tweed Shire councillor Katie Milne where he successfully sued her for defamation in the NSW Supreme Court, and was awarded A$15,000 in damages. The defamation action related to an email sent by Milne alleging he had a scandalous association with McGurk.[14]

In 2012 Ell sought and was granted permission by the Privileges Committee of the New South Wales Legislative Council to lodge a Citizen's Right of Reply on behalf of Leda Holdings Pty Limited. The reply related to comments by Cate Faehrmann MLC, a member of the NSW Greens, in the Legislative Council on 9 November 2011. Ell's reply highlighted errors of fact and the distortions contained in Faehrmann's speech. The Privileges Committee ordered that the Citizen's Right of Reply be published.[15]

Personal life

Ell is married to Brigit, twenty-six years younger than Ell, and they have four children WIlliam, John, Charles and Tiffiany . Ell has a son from his first marriage.[7] Ell resides both on the Gold Coast and in Sydney,[2][7] with an additional residence in Noosa.[7]

Wealth rankings

In 2014, the Business Review Weekly assessed Ell's net worth at A$1.29 billion;[2] and Forbes Asia assessed his net worth at A$1.10 billion.[3] In February 2013, Ell listed for sale a 4,397-square-metre (47,330 sq ft) residential property in Cremorne with an asking price of between A$20  25 million.[7][16][17] In July the same year, Ell sold his Potts Point penthouse apartment for A$15 million[17] and purchased a non-waterfront house in Bellevue Hill for A$30 million[2] twelve months later.[18] It was reported between 2000 and 2002 that Ell owned a luxury 36-metre (118 ft) catamaran called Leda worth A$15 million.[5][10]

Year BRW
Rich 200
Forbes
Australia's 50 Richest
Rank Net worth (AUD) Rank Net worth (USD)
2010[19] $1.10 billion Increase n/a not listed
2011[20] 27 Increase $1.20 billion Increase n/a not listed
2012[8] 28 Decrease $1.14 billion Decrease n/a not listed
2013[21] 32 Decrease $1.13 billion Decrease 26 Increase $0.96 billion Increase
2014[2][3] 25 Increase $1.29 billion Increase 22 Increase $1.10 billion Increase
Legend
Icon Description
Steady Has not changed from the previous year
Increase Has increased from the previous year
Decrease Has decreased from the previous year

References

  1. 1 2 Ell, Bob (11 September 2009). "Statement of Bob Ell: Regarding Michael McGurk" (PDF). The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "BRW Rich 200 list 2014: 25. Bob Ell". BRW. Sydney. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "#22 Robert Ell". Australia's 50 Richest. Forbes. January 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 Moran, Susannah (10 September 2009). "Michael McGurk's $100,000 bail put up by billionaire Bob Ell". The Australian. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  5. 1 2 Moran, Susannah (20 August 2000). "Ell Of A Way To Swan Around". The Sun-Herald. Cruiser Yacht. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  6. "About Leda". Leda Holdings Pty. Ltd. 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Passmore, Daryl (25 August 2013). "Queensland's Rich List 2013: Bob Ell". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Rich 200: Bob Ell". BRW. Sydney. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  9. Bennett, James (25 August 2007). "10 big rich mistakes". Smart Company. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  10. 1 2 Porter, Jeni (2 November 2002). "Tax rap threatens to lift the wraps on a very private magnate". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  11. Dempster, Quentin (11 September 2009). "Who Killed Michael McGurk?" (transcript). Stateline. Sydney: ABC TV. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  12. McClymont, Kate; Carson, Vanda (20 August 2009). "Firebomb charges to be dropped". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  13. Carson, Vanda; Welch, Dylan; McClymont, Kate (6 September 2009). "How the final deals of Mr Fixit unfolded". The Age. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  14. Feliu, Luis (3 December 2014). "Judges reject appeals by developer and Tweed councillor". Tweed Echo. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  15. Ell, Bob; Leda Holdings Pty Limited; van Rij, Reg; Khan, Trevor (23 February 2012). "Report No. 58: Citizen's right of reply" (PDF). Privileges Committee, New South Wales Legislative Council. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  16. Chancellor, Jonathan (13 February 2013). "Bob Ell lists Cremorne harbourfront residential mansion mega-site". Property Observer. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  17. 1 2 Macken, Lucy (13 July 2013). "Bob Ell sells for $15m in Potts Point". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  18. Macken, Lucy (26 September 2014). "Point Piper's $30 million boatshed". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  19. Chandler, Ainslie (8 December 2010). "Frank Lowy tops BRW rich list for first time". BRW. Sydney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  20. "Rich 200: Bob Ell". BRW Rich 200 Wealth Index. Sydney. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  21. "BRW Rich 200 2013 Wealth Index: 32. Bob Ell". BRW. Sydney. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
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