Every year, the Macquarie Australia conference plays host to a set of the nation’s most prominent investors at the Sheraton Hotel on Sydney’s Hyde Park, where they get to hear from chief executives keen to spin their corporate stories.
The high-profile investment get-together is widely thought of as the unofficial start of “confession season”, before companies on the ASX head into reporting season. And on Tuesday, the millionaires’ factory was back with a jam-packed schedule.
Among those to traipse through the hotel for day one of the conference were WiseTech chairman and CBD favourite Richard White, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson, and Tabcorp CEO Gil McLachlan, accompanied by their corporate handlers.
But we hear things got off to a bumpy start for the conference when Amanda Lacaze, the CEO of the $19 billion rare earths company, Lynas, had her panel waylaid by a cockroach. “Oh look, there’s a cockroach,” Lacaze said, according to a person in the room. “Right there, where your finger is.”
The Sheraton, it would seem, is not what it once was. We just hope they were able to keep the vermin away from the nibbles. Through the morning, guests were offered a selection of small slices of chocolate candied orange cake, CBD hears, along with mandarins and apples, and some coffee and biscuits.
A representative of the Sheraton’s owner, Marriott, did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
By mid-morning, we hear, they added some small corn and cheese empanadas, along with what one CBD spy described as some “mysterious clumps” ominously labelled “vegan”. (The best guess was vegetable fritters, but we were unable to confirm.) We hear the mini eclairs were a hit for afternoon tea.
Some of the other corporate bigshots shuffled into the Sheraton on Tuesday, at points to the soundtrack of Taylor Swift’s 2025 single Opalite, included Seven Group boss Ryan Stokes, who we hear stuck around for hours after his 9.30am session, and Endeavour Group chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka.
Our own corporate master, Nine Entertainment chief Matt Stanton, also went along, flanked by his chief financial officer Martyn Roberts, with entourage in tow. Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher was there as well.
Hopefully, there’s time to get the pest control in before day two.
Kane Cornes may get at least 48 hours out of Sportsbet
On Tuesday, the Seven Network AFL commentator and Sportsbet salesman Kane Cornes reportedly stepped down from his role on the AFL All-Australian selection panel, after Sportsbet changed its policy to no longer employ officials from any sporting code.
Sportsbet made the policy change after the company was embroiled in a separate saga involving the AFL umpire, Nick Foot. But we can’t help but wonder if Cornes has backed the wrong horse.
After all, it won’t be long before arrangements such as the one Cornes enjoys with Sportsbet will be subject to scrutiny by the federal government, as part of the gambling ad reforms announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last month. Among them: a ban on “the use of celebrities and sports players in gambling ads”.
At least Cornes won’t have long to wait before he finds out whether he’s forfeited his official role with the AFL for a gambling foray under threat of extinction. Gambling operators are set to attend a briefing hosted by Albanese government officials just after lunch on Thursday, according to a Zoom meeting invitation link seen by CBD.
“The briefing will provide additional information about the announced reforms and the planned implementation process,” the invite reads. There will be an Acknowledgement of Country, an overview of the reforms, and some guidance on their implementation process and timeframes.
A representative of Cornes didn’t respond to a request for comment in time for publication. Worst-case scenario, at least he will have enjoyed a sweet 48 hours in the new gig.
Anthony Pratt jets into the Met Gala, again
Showing undeniable commitment to his business cause, billionaire cardboard king Anthony Pratt has shopped his own wardrobe and recycled an infamous outfit for the world’s most exclusive fashion gala.
Pratt dusted off the headline-making, startling hot-pink frock coat embroidered with “Pratt 100% Recycled” decals and embellished burgundy waistcoat that he wore to the Meta Gala in 2024 for this year’s edition of the high society event in New York on Tuesday.
However, he refreshed his look by swapping out the pastel pink pants and sensible tan Balenciaga sneakers he wore in 2024 for burgundy velvet pants and polished black shoes.
The Visy boss’ guests at the gala included his sister Heloise, his niece, as well as Sabrina Pasterski, a friend of the Pratts. Pasterski, 32, is an American theoretical physicist who has been described as the “next Einstein” for her work on quantum gravity and black holes.
Tickets to the Gala cost more than $100,000 and Anna Wintour personally signs off on each guest, so simply being rich doesn’t mean you will make the cut.
Pratt was at the Met Gala along with guests including Madonna, Georgina Chapman and Adrien Brody, Ben Stiller, Doja Cat, The Rock, Gigi Hadid, Melbourne resident Troye Sivan, K-Pop star and former Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College student Rosé Park, Naomi Watts, Stevie Nicks, Cher, Julianne Moore and Tom Ford, Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie, Miranda Kerr and her husband, billionaire Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel.
Australia’s own Nicole Kidman was a co-chair of the gala alongside Beyonce, Venus Williams and Wintour, while Lauren Sánchez Bezos, wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was the event’s honorary chair.
John Buckley is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
Fiona Byrne is the CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.