Latest news with #TimGurner
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Melbourne rich lister threatens to take feud with Australia's most exclusive day spa to court over racism claims
Melbourne rich lister Christopher Shao has doubled down on claims that his mother was 'vilified' at an exclusive Melbourne day spa. Earlier this month, Christopher declared war on Saint Haven - the members-only wellness clinic owned by rich lister Tim Gurner. It all began when Christopher went public with a strongly worded complaint against Saint Haven, claiming a staff member spoke to his elderly mother in a 'condescending' tone during her visit to the spa. Speaking to the Herald Sun, Christopher alleged that his mother was also racially targeted for holding her phone at the club. He claims that, since news of the feud broke, he had also been contacted by members and ex Saint Haven staff members, claiming they had been racially profiled and targeted by the exclusive club. He told the publication that he was prepared to take legal action on behalf of the alleged victims, adding many were scared to come forward. 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. 'This isn't just about me - it's about systemic elitist racism imbedded in institutions that pretend to champion wellness and inclusivity but act very differently behind closed doors. All Australians deserve better,' he said. Christopher, who met with Saint Haven executives earlier this month, added that he felt that the way his concerns were handled by club management had been 'dismissive' and 'offensive'. 'Since speaking out a significant number of former Saint Haven staff have contacted me to share their own experiences of the club's toxic internal culture, it's clearly not an isolated issue,' he said. 'They don't necessarily have money to back it up and, you know, these people have lawyers and legal teams. They are too scared to speak up.' He added that his membership to the club, which costs $499 per week, had been suspended while an internal investigation took place. The publication reported that an internal memo to staff and members was sent by Gurner Group CEO Ahmed and Group CEO of Wellness Hotels and Hospitality Peter Crinis, about the matter. The memo said that after an internal review, 'no wrongdoing has been identified on the part of our team.' Speaking to the Herald Sun , Christopher alleged that his mother was also racially targeted for holding her phone at the club and has since been contacted by fellow members and ex-staff members alleging the same It also reiterated Saint Haven's 'zero tolerance' for racism and discrimination. It comes after Christopher claimed that his mother had apparently received a stern talking-to for carrying her phone into the bathhouse area at the private members club. Saint Haven emphasises a device-free environment to better allow its well-heeled clientele to unwind and recharge. But Christopher claims this rule is widely ignored, including by staff, and believes his mother was singled out. 'How ironic that you're enforcing no phones in the bathhouse but your staff is walking around carrying electronics?' he wrote in a furious email to spa management, which he reposted on Instagram. 'A staff [member] is telling my mum off for carrying her phone in the bathhouse and said, "I will let you off this time and don't do it again," in a very condescending way like a school teacher telling off a student.' Christopher described the no-phone policy as a 'joke' given that there are at least five people using phones or wearing earbuds whenever he visits the venue. A clinic staff member responded via email to Shao - which he also shared publicly - and admitted the no-phone rule was an ongoing challenge for management. 'It is common practice for us to issue reminders about phone usage in the bathhouse to maintain a relaxing and respectful atmosphere for all,' they began. 'We strive to maintain a phone-free zone, though it can be an ongoing challenge, and we do our best each day to enforce this policy.' Saint Haven is said to have a jaw-dropping wait list of 15,000 people. The ritzy spa, which has three locations in Collingwood, South Yarra and Toorak and is opening its first Sydney venue in Bondi in Spring 2026, is owned by the controversial property developer Tim Gurner. The exclusive club offers a range of wellness and anti-ageing treatments including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, IV drips and mineral-infused osmosis water from its 'Fountain of Youth'. Jackson Warne, the son of cricketing icon Shane Warne is also an ambassador for the club, revealing the surprising career move in October last year. Tim Gurner is one of Australia's richest men with an estimated fortune of $990million. Little is known about young property mogul Shao; however, it is understood he sold his Melbourne penthouse in recent years for close to $15million.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
We now have the definitive proof Reeves and Rayner are destroying Britain
In yet another triumph for the self-styled 'party of working people', we learnt today that since the start of the year employment is down, unemployment is up, wage growth has stalled and vacancies are falling. Businesses are responding to the October Budget – specifically the Chancellor's decision to hike Employer NICs by £25 billion – exactly as we knew they would. They're freezing recruitment, cutting hours, and bracing for whatever Labour's bright sparks might inflict on them next. When the Australian CEO Tim Gurner last year suggested that unemployment should jump 50 per cent to shake employees from their post-Covid, work-wherever-you-please lethargy, he was instantly pilloried. The usual suspects sneered about 'unfettered capitalism' and lambasted Gurner's personal wealth. But he had a point. Here in Britain, productivity dropped 0.7 per cent in the last three months of 2024. In the public sector (annual staff bill: £270 billion), it remains well below pre-Covid levels. Too many employees now seem to believe their boss should work for them, not the other way around. Vested interests appear to view the expectation that people show up and do their jobs as akin to modern slavery. Members of the PCS union, which represents civil servants, have voted to strike over the requirement they be in the office 60 per cent of the time. Staff at HM Land Registry began indefinite action this week on similar grounds. The organisation may vary but the refrain is always the same: inconsiderate employers – in the case of civil servants, that's us – are failing to acknowledge their childcare duties, commuting time or 'personal wellbeing'. What's fascinating – though often unnoticed – is that the more employers try to boost employee happiness, the more dissatisfied those workers seem to be. We have more 'rights' than ever before, yet a Gallup study has revealed we're more angry, and more sad, than virtually any other workers in the developed world. Can anyone honestly say they are happier in the knowledge that sending a fellow worker a birthday card could now constitute 'harassment'? Have the watertight procedures implemented by armies of HR staff to protect employees against 'injury to feelings' made us more content, or more atomised? Rather than address these issues, Labour are doubling down. Egged on by unions, they've embarked on a moral crusade against an imaginary foe, believing their cause so righteous that it cannot possibly have negative effects. Consider the speech our Attorney General Lord Hermer – a near household name after he was embroiled in a hypocrisy row – delivered last Friday. In the manner of a parent patiently talking down to a petulant child, he intoned that the 'right to security is a fundamental human right, recognised in all international treaties' – as though hybrid working was what world leaders had in mind when they signed up to those agreements. In any case, the 'right to security' is a category error: this Government can no more provide it in the workplace than they can provide sunny weather for Keir Starmer's birthday party. Yet still Angela Rayner's Employment Rights Bill – currently over 50,000 words long and still growing – is making its way through Parliament. Labour contend that more worker entitlements will be good news for business, with more productive, committed workers. There is precious little evidence to support such claims. It's far more likely to further reduce the incentive to hire. We don't have 'unfettered capitalism', we have the phoney variety, in which individuals do their best to succeed and politicians do all they can to tie their hands. But where, exactly, do Reeves, Rayner and the rest of the gang think all this will end? In 1984, the UK unemployment rate peaked at almost 12 per cent. The social and political fallout was huge. Bustling communities grew quiet, factory gates locked, the workless felt stripped of purpose. We're not back in the 1980s yet, but the idea Labour will deliver on their promise of 80 per cent employment by 2029 is looking increasingly ridiculous. There are already a mind-boggling 9.25 million economically inactive people, with a further 1.75 million who are unemployed – against a working age population of 43 million. We need more people in work than getting out of it. Then again, nothing would erode the trust voters begrudgingly put in Labour last year more quickly than a jobs downturn. Nothing would dislodge Starmer, and bring Britain to its senses, more quickly than a surge in unemployment. A shock might do us all some good in the long run. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Mass unemployment may be the only cure for our woes
In yet another triumph for the self-styled 'party of working people', we learnt today that since the start of the year employment is down, unemployment is up, wage growth has stalled and vacancies are falling. Businesses are responding to the October Budget – specifically the Chancellor's decision to hike Employer NICs by £25 billion – exactly as we knew they would. They're freezing recruitment, cutting hours, and bracing for whatever Labour's bright sparks might inflict on them next. When the Australian CEO Tim Gurner last year suggested that unemployment should jump 50 per cent to shake employees from their post-Covid, work-wherever-you-please lethargy, he was instantly pilloried. The usual suspects sneered about 'unfettered capitalism' and lambasted Gurner's personal wealth. But he had a point. Here in Britain, productivity dropped 0.7 per cent in the last three months of 2024. In the public sector (annual staff bill: £270 billion), it remains well below pre-Covid levels. Too many employees now seem to believe their boss should work for them, not the other way around. Vested interests appear to view the expectation that people show up and do their jobs as akin to modern slavery. Members of the PCS union, which represents civil servants, have voted to strike over the requirement they be in the office 60 per cent of the time. Staff at HM Land Registry began indefinite action this week on similar grounds. The organisation may vary but the refrain is always the same: inconsiderate employers – in the case of civil servants, that's us – are failing to acknowledge their childcare duties, commuting time or 'personal wellbeing'. What's fascinating – though often unnoticed – is that the more employers try to boost employee happiness, the more dissatisfied those workers seem to be. We have more 'rights' than ever before, yet a Gallup study has revealed we're more angry, and more sad, than virtually any other workers in the developed world. Can anyone honestly say they are happier in the knowledge that sending a fellow worker a birthday card could now constitute 'harassment'? Have the watertight procedures implemented by armies of HR staff to protect employees against 'injury to feelings' made us more content, or more atomised? Rather than address these issues, Labour are doubling down. Egged on by unions, they've embarked on a moral crusade against an imaginary foe, believing their cause so righteous that it cannot possibly have negative effects. Consider the speech our Attorney General Lord Hermer – a near household name after he was embroiled in a hypocrisy row – delivered last Friday. In the manner of a parent patiently talking down to a petulant child, he intoned that the 'right to security is a fundamental human right, recognised in all international treaties' – as though hybrid working was what world leaders had in mind when they signed up to those agreements. In any case, the 'right to security' is a category error: this Government can no more provide it in the workplace than they can provide sunny weather for Keir Starmer's birthday party. Yet still Angela Rayner's Employment Rights Bill – currently over 50,000 words long and still growing – is making its way through Parliament. Labour contend that more worker entitlements will be good news for business, with more productive, committed workers. There is precious little evidence to support such claims. It's far more likely to further reduce the incentive to hire. We don't have 'unfettered capitalism', we have the phoney variety, in which individuals do their best to succeed and politicians do all they can to tie their hands. But where, exactly, do Reeves, Rayner and the rest of the gang think all this will end? In 1984, the UK unemployment rate peaked at almost 12 per cent. The social and political fallout was huge. Bustling communities grew quiet, factory gates locked, the workless felt stripped of purpose. We're not back in the 1980s yet, but the idea Labour will deliver on their promise of 80 per cent employment by 2029 is looking increasingly ridiculous. There are already a mind-boggling 9.25 million economically inactive people, with a further 1.75 million who are unemployed – against a working age population of 43 million. We need more people in work than getting out of it. Then again, nothing would erode the trust voters begrudgingly put in Labour last year more quickly than a jobs downturn. Nothing would dislodge Starmer, and bring Britain to its senses, more quickly than a surge in unemployment. A shock might do us all some good in the long run.
AU Financial Review
12-05-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Gurner to go global with plans for wellness clubs in the US, Dubai
Rich Lister Tim Gurner plans to take his brand of high-end health and wellness clubs to the United States and the United Arab Emirates by the end of this year, making it the first time the busy Melbourne-based developer has ventured into offshore markets. 'Sydney is a big focus for us at the moment, and Gold Coast and then global,' Gurner told The Australian Financial Review. ' We'll be in the US by the end of the year and the UAE, so Dubai.'
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Top economist busts 'avocado' stereotype and reveals why young Aussies actually have it tougher than other countries: 'An affordability problem'
A top economist has busted the 'avocado' stereotype, arguing young Australians really do have it tough when trying to get onto the property ladder. AMP deputy chief economist Diana Mousina, 36, claimed the 'divide between the have and the have nots has probably never been wider in Australia that it is right now'. Australian millionaire property tycoon Tim Gurner famously claimed in 2017 young Australians could not afford a property because they kept wasting their money on superfluous spending such as $19 smashed avocado. The 'avocado on toast' image quickly became a stereotype that has been stuck to Millennials and Gen Z in the ongoing debate about whether or not boomers had it financially easier than the successive generations. Ms Mousina told The Fred Schebesta Show in April that while some Aussies from the 'avocado-eating generation' needed to pull in their spending, a lot were struggling to get into the real estate market because of reasons beyond their control. The median dwelling price in Australia is about $814,000 and in Sydney it's around $1.3million. Ms Mousina explained it would take an Aussie 11 years on an average income of $100,000 to save for a 20 per cent deposit. 'Do people want to wait 11 years of saving to be able to purchase their home when it took five years a few decades ago?' Ms Mousina said. 'This is why people feel like they can't get into the market they can't succeed because they have this drag of having to save for a long time.' The AMP economist noted the 'spending behaviours of young people are different to what they were a few decades ago' but that it's 'normal' to spend more on services. 'The idea of this avocado-eating generation I think it does have some merit to it,' she said. 'There is partly an excuse of young people perhaps not wanting to save as much or not being able to save as tightly perhaps as their parents or their grandparents. 'But at the same time Australia does have an affordability problem.' Ms Mousina noted that although Australia wasn't the only country which was suffering from this problem, it did have a secondary issue that was exacerbating matters. Half of Australia lives in three cities Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The economic expert explained in other countries like the United States, people are far more spread out and are able to buy property regionally. 'But even our regional home prices are unaffordable on the typical metrics that you would look at,' she added. In Sydney alone, the median house price is approaching $1.5million - or 15 times the average full-time salary of $100,000, while the banks won't lend borrowers more than 5.2 times their pay before tax. The situation is now so ridiculous that a borrower buying a Sydney house on one income would need to earn $226,281 to qualify for a home loan - and be among the top 2.3 per cent of income earners. Even with a hefty 20 per cent mortgage deposit of $294,125 - built up from more than a decade of saving - this high-income borrower would still be in mortgage stress, contributing more than a third of pay on monthly mortgage repayments.
