logo
Billionaire Adrian Portelli begs fans to buy EVERY HOME he purchased on The Block after dropping $15 million on entire Phillip Island compound - and failing to give it away in a competition

Billionaire Adrian Portelli begs fans to buy EVERY HOME he purchased on The Block after dropping $15 million on entire Phillip Island compound - and failing to give it away in a competition

Daily Mail​4 days ago

Adrian 'Mr Lambo' Portelli has revealed he's selling off his entire Phillip Island compound.
The billionaire businessman, 35, made history when he snapped up every Block home on Phillip Island for $15.03million last year.
However it appears he is ready to let it all go - and has appealed to his fans to take it off his hands.
In a post shared to Instagram Stories on Friday, he wrote: 'For Sale. The Phillip Island Block resort selling complex complete. Everything included.'
'Will not sell houses separately' he added.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
However it appears he is ready to let it all go - and has appealed to his fans to take it off his hands. In a post shared to Instagram Stories on Friday, he wrote: 'For Sale. The Phillip Island Block resort selling complex complete. Everything included'
Adrian included a question box where people could 'express interest' in making the multi-million dollar purchase.
Last year, Adrian attempted to give away the entire compound in a record-breaking raffle.
The house giveaway was earlier marred by technology issues which has forced him to postpone the announcement of the winner.
However he got back on track 24 hours later with over 111,000 viewers tuning in on Facebook.
Portelli called the winner, a 34-year-old woman from Ballarat called Holly, to give her the good news that she had won.
'Oh my God, no f**ing way. I didn't watch the live on purpose because I thought it would be bad luck,' she Portelli during the call.
Holly opted to sleep on the choice between taking $8 million in cash or keeping all five properties.
However, she later opted to take the cash, leaving Adrian still holding the homes.
Holly opted to sleep on the choice between taking $8 million in cash or keeping all five properties. However, she later opted to take the cash, leaving Adrian still holding the homes. One of the homes is pictured
The scheduled lottery through his company LMCT+ had hit a major roadblock on Thursday due to technical difficulties, with Adrian deciding to 'pause' the action.
The winner was due to be unveiled at 8.30pm on Boxing Day but the result had been postponed for 24 hours due to the issues.
In a video, Adrian explained that the giveaway had closed at 8pm as planned, but due to the sheer volume of traffic on the website, the LMCT+ systems then crashed.
During the 2024 finale of The Block, Adrian made history by purchasing all five of the properties for a huge $15million.
In his final year of bidding on the show, Adrian ensured Maddy and Charlotte Harry became the youngest ever winners when he bought their home for $3.5million.
Adrian's company, LMCT+, has frequently raffled off properties from The Block, including last year's $5million purchase of Steph and Gian's winning home.
Shortly after buying up the entire plot of homes on Phillip Island, Adrian then announced his massive 'resort giveaway' through LMCT+.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom gearing up for 'heart-to-heart talk' amid 'rough patch'
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom gearing up for 'heart-to-heart talk' amid 'rough patch'

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom gearing up for 'heart-to-heart talk' amid 'rough patch'

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are reportedly set to have serious conversations about the state of their relationship. From her controversial Blue Origin space flight to her absence from their Montecito, California home due to her world tour – things have been a bit rough for the longtime couple lately. Over the 4th of July holiday, Katy is flying from Australia to California to spend time with Orlando and their daughter Daisy, five, a source told The Sun And while rumors may be circulating about the demise of their nearly decade long relationship, the insider added 'no one has decided it's definitely the end of the road for Katy and Orlando.' 'They both love each other, but they have been living different lives for at least a year and in different mindsets. 'But Katy especially doesn't want to just give up,' the source continued. Katy has been in Australia for the entire month of June, with the last performance of her Lifetimes Tour Down Under on June 30 in Adelaide. Her tour has caused the 'biggest disruption' in her home life with the Lord of the Rings star. The source said: 'Katy and Orlando have been disconnected for a while now, and with their work commitments have been living separate lives. 'The plan is for them to reunite over the July 4 break. She has mentioned jetting back from Australia to spend time with Orlando, Daisy, her sister Angela and her kids. 'They have barely been together for a decent amount of time, without distractions, for many, many months. 'It has been "go, go, go" and they thrived when they enjoyed a more settled life, being together in the same place for a length of time. But that has just not happened.' Additionally, Orlando wasn't in favor of Katy's Blue Origin space flight. However, in spite of their disagreements and obstacles, the source insisted it isn't all over for Bloom and Perry. And while rumors may be circulating about the demise of their nearly decade long relationship, a source told The Sun , 'no one has decided it's definitely the end of the road for Katy and Orlando.' Seen here April 23, 2025 'It is quite a lot more complicated than that. They have been apart for their longest amount of time since they have been together. 'But there is still a huge amount of love between them, and there is still hope that they can ride out this rough patch. 'Anyone in long term relationships goes through challenges, and many times when things appear to be done, couples reconnect and make things work. Despite recent tensions, the source remains optimistic: 'The type of people they are, there still remains a lot of hope. Katy has never been happier in her life than with Orlando.' 'If this reunion can revive those times, then they could come through this.' Katy is also set to fly to Venice, Italy for the wedding of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos. The guest list is thought to have less than 200 people, with suspected guests including A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Perry and Bloom and members of the Trump family. The Amazon boss has booked the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, one of the largest and grandest buildings in the historical center of Venice, as part of the multi-day-long extravaganza of celebrations. Up until now, little has been known about what may be dubbed as the wedding of the year - but a source in Italy has exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail all of the intimate details that you need to know. According to the insider, Bezos' $500 million superyacht, Koru, will be moored off the coast of San Georgio Maggiore island, which is home to the famous Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, a 16th century Benedictine church. They shared that the island is 'off-limits to visitors' from June 24 to June 29, with the mayor believing that the wedding will take place on the yacht. However, The Misericodria, an iconic event space in Venice, has been booked out from June 26 to June 28.

I've built an empire buying abandoned homes in a city blighted by crime and turning them into Instagram dreams
I've built an empire buying abandoned homes in a city blighted by crime and turning them into Instagram dreams

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

I've built an empire buying abandoned homes in a city blighted by crime and turning them into Instagram dreams

A Louisiana woman is breathing new life into the heart of a small Southern community that has been blighted by crime by buying up abandoned properties and renovating them. Sara McDaniel, a 47-year-old former teacher turned real estate investor and content creator, returned to her roots in 2016, eager to start a new chapter following a devastating divorce. Guided by her deep faith and fueling passion for something greater, she left Texas behind and found a new beginning in Minden, a tight-knit community of nearly 12,000 residents that has a rate of crime that is much higher than that of the average US city. The crime rate in Minden is 50.84 per 1,000 residents in the typical year, according to Crime Grade. The chance of being a victim of crime in Minden varies by neighborhood – ranging from 1 in 13 in the south neighborhoods to 1 in 28 in the north. McDaniel now owns what she describes as a total of '27 doors' - including 11 short-term rentals with the rest consisting of either long-term rentals, buys and holds or vacant land investments. But she says her investments have done more than just fulfill a personal vision - they've sparked the transformation of a neighborhood - with many of the properties being on the same street - that was once plagued by crime and drugs. Her most successful project to date earned her $220,000 last year, after she bought the property for just $50,000, but McDaniel says her mission has always been about more than profit or recognition. 'It's just a whole street centered around a theme of redemption - redemption of both properties and lives,' she told 'For me, it's about leaving a legacy long after I'm gone.' 'It's a metaphor, taking these blighted and historic properties on this street. You know, it's a metaphor for the things that can happen in our lives,' she added. Originally from Springhill, Louisiana, McDaniel spent her early career in education, working as a third and fourth grade teacher, an assistant principal and an educational sales representative. However when she found herself in the midst of a gut-wrenching divorce in 2009, she discovered the Financial Independence Early Retirement movement (FIRE) - a strategy focused on aggressively saving, often up to 50 percent of one's income, to build long-term financial freedom. She decided to commit to the FIRE movement, prompting her to leave her teaching job and, as she put it, 'put all my eggs in real estate '. 'I also did it to prove to myself that I could,' she said, detailing the sacrifice of living on slashed income. 'It almost became like a game. Like, can I do this and could I take a pay cut and live comfortably?' When she moved to Minden in 2016 she had already dipped her toes in real estate with four properties under her belt. She felt an immediate connection to the town upon arrival, seeing its potential for transformation and decided to pursue her lifelong dream of restoring an old home. After nearly a year of searching, she stumbled upon a broken-down cottage located just on the edge of the Historic Residential District. 'I knew that this house was supposed to be mine,' she said, despite the vacant-look to the property, covered head to toe in Red Tip Photinia's, oak trees, azaleas, daffodils and other southern vegetation. She launched her website, documenting each wall torn down and every fixture lovingly restored. The finished product, 'Sara's Cottage', was what 'set the course' for the work she would take on in the years that followed. After Sara's Cottage, McDaniel purchased a second cottage just a few blocks away, planning to flip it. It was during this project that she gave herself the freedom to experiment, resulting in an explosion of vibrant colors and designs. The property became known as Cottage on Fort, and is now a sought-after Airbnb rental. When another property then became available - an aging set of Spanish-style apartments well past their prime - McDaniel seized the opportunity, marking the start of her journey to restore them. After that, she bought a three-story, 6,000-square-foot Queen Anne-style property called the Fuller-White House. Built in 1905, it now serves as a community gathering venue. The property's upstairs space - the Fuller House Upper Room - was then transformed into a stylish, loft-style apartment. More recently, just across the street from the stunning Fuller-White House, McDaniel purchased another home, which is set to become her first nonprofit venture in honor of her late father. McDaniel's biggest project to date is the renovation at 'The Villas at Spanish Court', which she purchased in 2021 and officially opened as a stunning, short-term rental business in 2023. The property in question was a block of eight villa-style apartments that had sat abandoned for the last 40 years. Inside, the property's condition was nothing short of disastrous - torn-up floors, caved-in ceilings and even bullet holes through the windows - but McDaniel still saw its potential. Those who learned of McDaniel's interest cautioned her against the purchase, suggesting that the only solution to save it would be to bulldoze the entire structure. Despite the warnings, McDaniel fell in love with the property and, in 2021, purchased The Villas at Spanish Court apartments for $51,306 - funded entirely by the savings she had diligently built throughout her journey. 'I just have this uncanny ability when I look at something that is blighted and nobody else wants to touch, like bullet holes in windows,' she said. 'I can just see what the after looks like in my head.' 'Honestly, I just wanted to bring it back, because everybody said it couldn't be done right. Everybody said I needed to bulldoze and start over,' McDaniel explained. Her ultimate goal for the property was to preserve as many of the original details as possible during the renovation. However, McDaniel realized she made a rookie mistake after closing the deal - she forgot to secure an environmental hazard assessment on the structure. The assessment tests for the presence of both asbestos and lead paint - hazards McDaniel soon discovered were prevalent throughout the property. 'I just got caught up in the moment and the excitement,' McDaniel explained. 'Definitely the biggest oh no moment of the project.' 'I mean real talk, I was on medication for awhile because I had so much anxiety about it, especially being $80,000 over budget thinking, is anybody going to stay after I do all of this? Is it going to be worth it?' she added. 'It was really bad, but it was real life.' Amid a time of overwhelming doubt, McDaniel received an unexpected email from a distant cousin who had lived in the property back in the 70s. In it, she referred to McDaniel as a 'kinsman redeemer', bringing the once-forgotten property back to life and, in doing so, redeeming her own story. 'When I got that email, it just washed me with a peace,' McDaniel said. 'So I just plugged forward.' She was able to secure a $46,731 loan with a 0 percent interest rate with the Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, solving the asbestos and lead paint problem. In another attempt at getting the villas up and running, McDaniel sold her Texas home for $175,354 and contributed an additional $8,000 from her various income streams to help cover renovation costs. She also secured an interim construction loan of $202,725 from a local bank, followed by a permanent mortgage of $290,710, which she used to pay off the interim loan and complete the renovation. Finally, in February 2023, The Villas at Spanish Court officially 'reopened' for business. Each villa showcases its own unique charm, featuring vibrant colors, vintage archways and other subtle yet stunning architectural details that harken back to their 1930s origins. As an extra loving touch - and a nod to the original design - McDaniel added patio chairs, string lights and solo stoves outside each villa, inviting guests to enjoy the outdoors and connect with the community during their stay. 'No two villas are the same,' McDaniel explained. 'They're all designed differently and, for the most part, seven of them are feminine and one is masculine. But that has not deterred any business for many men.' In 2024 the villas brought in $224,133 revenue from Airbnb bookings. With McDaniel's impressive collection of properties, one might assume she's reached the end of her journey - but she isn't slowing down anytime soon. 'I actually bought a building downtown, and this will be my first commercial property outside housing, if you will,' McDaniel told To follow McDaniel's real estate journey, visit her personal blog at or find her on social media under @simplysoutherncottage across all platforms.

The surprising jobs with the fastest growing salaries - as economist reveals the AI truth all workers need to know
The surprising jobs with the fastest growing salaries - as economist reveals the AI truth all workers need to know

Daily Mail​

time4 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

The surprising jobs with the fastest growing salaries - as economist reveals the AI truth all workers need to know

White-collar jobs most at risk of being replaced by AI have surprisingly experienced the fastest double-digit growth in salaries. Service jobs, rather than occupations requiring manual labour, made up nine of the top 10 roles that have had the biggest annual increase in advertised pay levels. SEEK senior economist Blair Chapman told Daily Mail Australia said AI was in fact creating more demand for professional roles provided the technology makes workers more efficient during a productivity crisis. 'What a lot of people have been missing in the AI conversation is that AI is there to make people more productive so, yes, it can do a lot of the tasks but that means a person using AI is able to produce more and do more,' he said. 'They're actually more productive so they're actually more valuable to the company. 'There are, in most roles, going to need to be some human intervention still.' Tax accountants saw average advertised pay surge 24.5 per cent to $95,375 based on positions on SEEK in April. Seek senior economist Blair Chapman told Daily Mail Australia said AI was creating more demand for white collar roles provided the technology could make professionals more efficient during a productivity crisis 'The one tax consultant can now do multiple client returns, as an example, in a day rather than maybe one or two,' Mr Chapman said. Analyst roles in the Department of Defence and the federal public services have seen a 26.8 per cent surge in advertised pay to $130,117. Geopolitical uncertainty has meant AI could in fact help intelligence analysts sift through a lot more data. 'You think about an intelligence analyst trying to analyse thousands of web pages - now AI can do that and flag the most pertinent ones for humans to assess,' he said. Meanwhile, high immigration levels are fuelling demand for housing but local licensing requirements means Australian citizens are more likely to get construction jobs. 'There are barriers to entry for foreign labour market participants to actually come in and add to supply in those roles,' Mr Chapman said. The requirement for local construction and trade licences saw a 16.6 per cent increase in advertised salaries to $90,695 for finishers on building projects. Australia's transition to renewable energy is also creating demand for electrical engineers in the energy space with their salaries soaring by 18.3 per cent to an average of $165,917. 'We've got the renewable energy push which is leading to a lot of demand for electrical engineers,' Mr Chapman said. At the lower end of the pay scale, shop assistants saw their pay levels rise by 16.2 per cent to $64,027. Hospitality job ads saw a 15.6 per cent increase to $70,762 for assistant roles. This was occurring as demand for cafe and restaurant meals continued to increase, even more than three years after Covid lockdowns ended. 'During Covid, people weren't going out as much as they were now there's been a bit of a resurgence in hospitality, especially as there has been a substitution in say international travel to domestic travel and that has encouraged and created more demand for hospitality,' Mr Chapman said. But in some sectors, advertised pay levels have been growing well below the overall wage price index of 3.4 per cent, despite unemployment still being low at 4.1 per cent. Manufacturing jobs saw an increase of just 2.6 per cent with Australia now focused on smaller-scale assembly. 'Heavy and medium industrial manufacturing: we stopped doing a lot of that,' Mr Chapman said. 'A lot of manufacturing now is local needs - it's been a big compositional change in manufacturing in Australia.' Technology, however, is still a threat to some sectors more than others with advertising, arts and media jobs seeing a 0.1 per cent annual decline in advertised salaries, with the likes of Google and Facebook continuing to take advertising revenue away from traditional media.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store