It’s almost guaranteed that if you have a famous parent or grandparent, you’ll end up in the society pages at one time or another, by virtue of your family name alone.
Take, Justin Hemmes. Before he took the reins of his parents’ hospitality empire, he was already famous as the son of hospitality trailblazers John and Merivale.
Likewise Stu Laundy, the deal-making king of the Laundy pub dynasty and successor to patriarch Arthur. To many, Stu is still best known for his love life and winning turn on Sophie Monk‘s season of The Bachelorette.
But there are two extremely rich Sydney families whose scions have managed to somehow avoid the spotlight of the tabloids and the whispers of social media tattles.
A pair of dynastic families – now joined by marriage – whose extraordinary wealth is only matched by their penchant for privacy.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail’s new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
Miki Hendler (centre left), the granddaughter of Meriton founder Harry Triguboff, and husband Elliot Solomon (right), of the Solotel hospitality group, have been named as the buyers of a $20million Vaucluse mansion. The couple are pictured on their wedding day in February 2023
We’re talking about the Triguboffs and the Solomons.
Miki Hendler is the granddaughter of Australia’s second-richest person (and richest man overall), property tycoon Harry Triguboff – better known as ‘High Rise Harry’.
Triguboff, 92, is the founder of apartment giant Meriton. Born in Dalian, Northeast China, in 1933, he made his start as a developer in the early 1960s after attending Scots College in Sydney, eventually amassing a $29.65billion net worth.
Now working for Meriton as a development manager, Miki – the daughter of Triguboff’s daughter Sharon and her husband Gary Hendler – oversees acquisitions, project planning, and the development of new residential and commercial properties.
She is also a New South Wales shadow board member for the not-for-profit WIZO, which funds literacy programs for underprivileged children.
She doesn’t have a media presence like other super-rich heiresses. Indeed, her only prior coverage in the Daily Mail is her wedding day to husband Elliot Solomon.
Speaking of Elliot, he is the chief executive of his family’s business, Solotel, the hospitality group behind venues like The Golden Sheaf, Aria, Opera Bar and more.
The couple made headlines recently when they were named as the buyers of a $20million mansion in Vaucluse. (Pictured: a general view of homes overlooking the water in Vaucluse)
In an extraordinarily rare occurrence, the wealthy couple made headlines recently when they were publicly named – by a purchaser’s caveat – as the buyers of a $20million mansion in Vaucluse, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, that last changed hands 25 years ago.
The five-bedroom, four-bathroom palace, which had a $17million price guide, was sold at a private auction on May 28 at Double Bay’s InterContinental hotel.
It is understood that Miki and another bidder were responsible for pushing the price of the 900 sqm property – just a stone’s throw away from Nielsen Park – $3million above its guide in a ‘hotly contested’ sale.
The home is conveniently located near her grandfather Harry’s famous family home, as well as her parents’ 3,000 sqm house in the same suburb.
Elliot and Miki – who also owns a $3.73million house in Bondi Beach, bought at auction in 2020 for a million dollars over reserve – purchased the Vaucluse property from fashion entrepreneur Christopher Kalowski and his wife Vivian.
The Kalowskis had bought the home for $1.625million in 1988.
It comes two years after the Solomon-Hendlers, who share a three-year-old son, wed in February 2023 at the Triguboff compound overlooking Sydney Harbour – an estate reportedly worth $100million.
Miki, who is one of Triguboff’s four grandchildren, stunned in a couture wedding gown from Sydney designer Velani, which appeared to be inspired by ballet attire, with a silk slip at the top and tulle skirting.
At the reception, the newlyweds had their first dance to Frankie Valli’s I Love You Baby.
The event was planned by Philip Carr, who is described as ‘one of Australia’s leading event architects and stylists’.
In lieu of gifts, the couple asked guests to donate to charity by way of the WIZO Sifriyat Pyjama Library.
Miki’s grandfather Harry is Australia’s foremost apartment developer, with Meriton having built more than 79,000 apartments along the nation’s east coast.
He is the second richest person in Australia according to the 2025 Rich List, behind mining magnate Gina Rinehart.
Elliot’s father, hospitality veteran Bruce Solomon, founded the Solotel hospitality group in 1986.
Triguboff (centre) is Meriton’s founder. Born in China in 1933, he got his start as a developer in the 1960s after attending Scots College, eventually amassing a $29.65billion net worth
Fourth-generation hotelier Elliot has overseen diversification of Solotel’s venues since 2021
The Solotel Group includes iconic venues such as the Golden Sheaf in Double Bay (pictured)
Known for its association with the renowned chef Matt Moran, Solotel oversees more than 20 hotels and bars, as well as fine-dining restaurants.
Elliot, the CEO and a fourth-generation hotelier, took over in 2021 and has overseen diversification of the company’s venues.
In January 2021, at the height of Covid, Elliot’s father Bruce told The Sydney Morning Herald that their family had a rule not to talk about business outside of work hours.
‘We have Friday night dinner and we just don’t talk about work,’ he said.
‘You want your relationship to be more than just work. There’s a lot more to a family.’
The Solotel Group includes iconic venues such as the Kings Cross Hotel; The Golden Sheaf in Double Bay; The Clock Hotel in Surry Hills; The Bank Hotel, Courthouse Hotel, and Marlborough Hotel in Newtown; the Erskineville Hotel (The Erko); Darlo Bar in Darlinghurst; Opera Bar at Circular Quay; and the Edinburgh Castle Hotel in the Sydney CBD.
Despite their wealth, the Triguboff and Solomon families are not considered fixtures of society events and have been known to make efforts to keep their private lives out of the headlines.
