Australian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes paints himself a climate crusader - but his private jet trips with his new girlfriend tell a different story

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

Tech billionaire and green energy investor Mike Cannon-Brookes has built his public image around tackling climate change, but the flight log of his $75 million private jet paints a very different picture.
The Atlassian co-founder, 45, has openly acknowledged the 'deep internal conflict' he feels about using the emissions-spewing jet.
In less than a year, his Bombardier Global 7500 has flown more than 440,000 kilometres - the equivalent of travelling to the moon and starting the journey back -across four continents and 43 airports.
His globe-trotting itinerary reads like a billionaire's bucket list: European capitals, American national parks, luxury Pacific resorts, and high-octane Formula One events.
According to flight data, the jet has spent over 531 hours in the air, nearly 22 full days, and has flown on 309 separate days since last September.
Analysts estimate the carbon dioxide emissions from Mr Cannon-Brookes' flights would be enough to power a town of 2,400 homes for a year.
The tech mogul showed more environmental awareness when he arrived back in Sydney after a holiday in Fiji with new partner Amelia Beaumont, a tech worker, after he separated from his wife Annie last July after 13 years of marriage.
The pair exited the private jet and climbed into a $121,000 Kia EV9 electric SUV, a low-emissions vehicle that was a stark contrast to the CO2-belching journey they had just taken.
It was the final leg of a whirlwind July tour that took the couple through Europe, the US, and the South Pacific.
Mr Cannon-Brookes defended his private jet use by pointing to what he described as an 'extremely rigorous carbon regime' applied to his flights, including sustainable aviation fuel and direct air capture technology.
'These options aren't practical for commercial flights but are viable privately,' he told The Australian.
'This means my flights actually have a net negative carbon footprint.'
He admitted to wrestling with his conscience over whether to buy a private jet, but ultimately his requirements trumped climate concerns.
'There's a couple of reasons I've purchased a plane. Personal security is the primary reason ... but also so I can run a global business from Australia, and still be a constantly present dad,' he said.
'So, this is a hard, continual trade-off I've decided to make.'
A single private jet emits as much carbon dioxide in an hour as the average person does in an entire year, with private flights 14 times more polluting (per passenger) than a commercial plane.
Despite flying around the world in a private jet, Mr Cannon-Brookes previously warned the world needs to change its eating habits by adding insects to its daily diet if the planet is to feed a global population of eight billion.
'Insects are a huge part of a sustainable future,' he said.
'I'm a big fan of cricket flour and insect eating in general. The logic totally stacks up – low planet footprint, high protein, sustainable etc.
'Always looking for interesting opportunities in that space!'
Mr Cannon-Brookes believes Australia could be the 'Saudi Arabia of renewable electricity' if the political will was there.
He added: 'We could power the entire world five times over from the Australian sun that we have.
'It's a good measure of how large our country is, and how much great sun we have. We have a country almost designed to benefit most from the renewable boom.
'And we have 3 billion consumers nearby who can take our sunlight when we ship it up to Asia. We absolutely can be a renewable energy superpower.'
As part of his climate change agenda, Mr Cannon-Brookes became AGL's largest shareholder in 2022, purchasing an 11 per cent stake to pressure the company into accelerating its move to renewable energy.
He used his influence to block AGL's proposed demerger, which would have extended the life of its coal-fired power plants, and publicly called AGL 'one of the most toxic companies on the planet' due to its high carbon dioxide emissions.
The tech mogul, who has amassed a staggering fortune of about $24.38billion according to the latest Financial Review Rich List, split from Annie, his wife of 13 years, in 2023.
The news of the separation raised questions about how the pair would carve up their fortune, in addition to a $300million property empire.
This included the 1.1 hectare Fairwater estate, the home of the late Lady Mary Fairfax, in Sydney which they acquired in 2018 for $100million.
Just before the pair split, in June 2023, they also forked out $14.25million to buy a home in Newport, on Sydney's northern beaches, neighbouring the $24.5million estate they purchased in 2020.
Mr Cannon-Brookes made headlines earlier this week after Atlassian announced it was axing 150 customer service and support roles, with some tasks set to be replaced by AI.
The layoffs were revealed in a pre‑recorded video sent by Cannon‑Brookes early Wednesday morning, bluntly titled 'Restructuring the CSS Team: A Difficult Decision for Our Future.'
Staff were reportedly given no prior warning and were forced to wait 15 minutes for confirmation via email, after which their laptops were immediately locked.
The announcement came just hours before Atlassian co‑founder Scott Farquhar addressed the National Press Club, where he championed the rise of AI, urged the nation to move beyond 'jobs of the past,' and cited Australia's 'very strong social safety net' as support for displaced workers.
Affected employees are understood to be receiving a minimum of 12 weeks' pay.