Billionaire's luxury holiday disrupted after Greek villa robbed
The break-in reportedly occurred on Mr Escalante's first night on the island, with luxury watches, designer clothing, and cash among the stolen items, according to the Daily Mail.
The 42-year-old founder of Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) had been documenting his lavish summer escape on Instagram, sharing images of sun-soaked days aboard a mega yacht and nights partying in hotspots across the French Riviera and Greek Islands.
He was also reportedly spotted at Scorpios Beach Club wearing a Richard Mille x Pharrell watch said to be worth about $1m.
Mr Escalante, a father of four, has built a tech empire from humble beginnings.
VGW is valued at more than $6bn, and his personal net worth is estimated at $4.37bn thanks to his majority stake.
VGW is best known for its internet phenomenon Chumba Casino, with most business coming from the US.
In a recent interview with The Australian, Mr Escalante reflected on his rise.
'I'm just a kid from Perth with immigrant parents who grew up, had an idea, invented something and kept trying,' he said.
'This is my fourth or fifth business. I'm just like a lot of other people, having a crack.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
Rest Day Podcast on the footsteps of the Giant of Provence : Le Mont Ventoux
In the latest SBS Cycling Podcast, hosts Christophe and Macka take us through the second rest day of the Tour de France, set in scenic Provence. They paint a vivid picture of the race's setting, capturing the European summer atmosphere while analysing early standout performances. Tadej Pogačar impresses with his dominance and composure, even after a crash, while Mathieu van der Poel draws attention with his distinctive and aggressive racing style. A major focus of the episode is the role of domestiques — the often-overlooked riders who sacrifice their own chances to support team leaders. Grace Brown pays tribute to these unsung heroes, and the hosts reflect on how teamwork and selflessness are at the heart of any Tour success.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
Billy Brownless goes viral with X-rated ‘skinny dipping' photo
Billy Brownless has left his family horrified after sharing a photo of himself skinny dipping on social media. The Geelong Cats icon is living his best life and looking very loved up with his partner Crystle Fleur, with the couple enjoying a mid-year getaway last week to Western Australia. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Brownless shared some happy snaps of the holiday around WA, and the footy larrikin saved some of his best, or worst work for a swimming pool at Broome. 'Welcome to Bill's fitness regime,' he said in a tongue-in-cheek clip uploaded to social media. 'Today I'm going to swim 50 laps of this pool. Righto, here we go.' Cue the camera panning to show a pool that could not have been more than three metres long, as Brownless pushed off for a 'lap'. He wrote on Instagram: 'While in Broome I thought I would get back into the pool and cut some laps!!!' In a separate post, Brownless shared a photo of him relaxing in the pool with his obvious lack of swimwear leaving little to the imagination — thankfully he was facing away from the camera. 'Some call it 'Skinny Dipping' I like to call it 'Fat Dipping' #fatstraveldiary,' he wrote. Safe to say the X-rated post was a bit of a surprise to Brownless' friends and family. Former AFL star Dale Thomas joked: 'Reverse angle is a Nirvana album cover.' Bec Judd commented: 'Ahahaha. Nice seeing you yesterday. Glad you had some clothes on.' Brownless' horrified daughter Ruby commented: 'Wow it gets worse', after responding to his swimming pool post with 'Honestly no words'. His partner Crystal captioned one of her posts: 'Relaxing by the pool @cablebeachclub the most perfect place to relax until I looked in the pool @billybrownless.' Brownless, known as the king of Geelong during his playing days, told the Herald Sun his partner had uploaded the viral skinny dip photo to his Instagram account without his knowledge. 'She thought it was fun. I was just paddling around in the pool, splashing around,' he said. 'She said I've got a shot here for you. Darl, we'll get rid of those shorts and we'll just have a bit of fun with it. And she thought it would be funny to go nude. She knows how to post off my account. 120,000 views, the punters loved it.' The 58-year-old said his kids let him know they were less than impressed. 'They're the ones who aren't so happy,'' Brownless said. 'Ruby is the most outspoken, she rang me. She said 'dad, you're a dickhead'.' Earlier this month, Brownless and Fleur celebrated their one-year anniversary, with Fleur posting: 'Happy 1st anniversary to this amazing man!' Brownless and Fleur went public with their relationship in October last year at Geelong's best and fairest night. The Cats Hall of Famer was seen arm in arm with the 52-year-old mum of three with the two being sighted at a plethora of events since. The pair had reportedly been going strong for two months before their first public outing. The happy couple were spotted after the AFL Grand Final speaking with his ex-wife Nicky Brownless and former best mate and Melbourne great Garry Lyon. Brownless and Nicky were together for 18 years before splitting in 2014. In 2016 Lyon's friendship with Brownless fell apart after he went public with Nicky. A month after their relationship made headlines, Billy revealed how the relationship had impacted his family, saying 'a good mate wouldn't do that'. 'I couldn't believe it. I found out three or four months ago. I asked Garry and Nicky earlier on what is going on and they said they were just good friends,' he said on the Footy Show at the time. 'That's what hurts the most.' The former best mates have since reunited with the duo spending several Christmases together as an extended family. Lyon surprised Nicky in December, 2023 when he proposed and she said yes. Nicky clearly wasn't expecting the move, announcing the news of the engagement on her Instagram account, posting a black and white photo of the pair embracing with the caption 'the best surprise'. The duo, who have been together for eight years, took off to New York shortly after the proposal.
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- News.com.au
Margot Robbie and husband Tom Ackerley share intimate balcony kiss on Italian getaway
Margot Robbie and her husband, Tom Ackerley, were spotted putting on a loved-up display during a romantic getaway in Italy. The couple – who welcomed their first baby together in November – were seen sharing a sweet moment on the balcony of the Grand Hotel Parker's in Naples over the weekend. In the intimate photos, Robbie could be seen taking a sip from an Acqua Panna glass water bottle as she took in the picturesque views. The 35-year-old looked stunning in a strapless mini dress made from a vintage print tapestry by designer Kristin Mallison. The Barbie star was later joined on the balcony by Ackerley, her husband of almost 10 years who is also the co-founder of their production company, LuckyChap Entertainment. Ackerley, also 35, was seen wrapping his arms around Robbie, while planting a tender kiss on her head as she relaxed on the balcony. Before arriving in Italy, the couple visited their old stomping ground in London, where they once lived in a four-bedroom share house in Clapham with five other friends back in 2014. On their recent London visit, Robbie reportedly shouted an entire restaurant a round of cocktails. The star dined at the Australian restaurant Bondi Green in London with Ackerley and their friends last week, with the generous Hollywood star treating 100 lucky diners to a cocktail made from her own gin, Papa Salt. 'Margot, her husband and friends were having a wonderful time and couldn't get enough of the classic Aussie cuisine on offer which must have been a taste of home,' one diner said, as per The Canberra Times. 'They enjoyed a few rounds of cocktails and even shouted everyone in the restaurant a cocktail made from her gin including her signature serve – Papa Salt with ice, soda, a large slice of a fresh orange and black pepper.' Robbie's holiday comes amid a busy year for the former Neighbours star. Since returning from a much-needed hiatus after the Barbie film and jam-packed press tour, and taking some time away to be with her baby boy, Robbie has now worked on back-to-back projects. She recently wrapped production on the much-anticipated Wuthering Heights adaptation, which also stars fellow Australian Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. And she also filmed the fantasy rom-com A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.
