In the wake of a devastating breakdown, Ingrid Pyne asks whether James Packer has the strength for another comeback.
Summer on the French Riviera and the serious money has once again arrived in Europe’s playground of the rich and famous. James Packer is here, as he is most years, aboard Mischief, the 52m super yacht he is renting this summer for a cool $400,000 a week. As he awaits delivery of his own new $200 million “gigayacht” – scheduled for August 1 – there is a sense that the tide may be finally turning for the troubled billionaire.
“He’s got a smile on his face more often than he has had for a long, long time,” says a close friend of Packer, who is recovering from his third breakdown in 15 years. “These last few weeks have definitely been a turning point – there is no doubt about it.”
After a tumultuous few years, Packer is slowly getting his personal and professional life in order. Last month he sold a 20 per cent stake in Crown Resorts for $1.8 billion. In December, he got a Cavoodle named Waffle with his long-term girlfriend, the socialite Kylie Lim. And – most significantly – he appears to have made peace with his older sister, Gretel. The pair has been embroiled in a bitter battle over the family fortune, which ended with James reluctantly handing over 100 per cent control of Ellerston, their famed polo estate in the NSW Hunter Valley; the family’s long-time seaside retreat at fashionable Palm Beach; and the Arctic P superyacht, among other assets. But sources close to Packer confirmed that the siblings recently lunched together at Packer’s $80 million Los Angeles mansion, the sprawling former home of Hollywood actor Danny DeVito.
This story is from the July 2019 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2019 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.
Coming up roses
Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.
Time to celebrate our mothers
Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.
From one mum to another
Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.
Amother's GIFT
In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.
