TPG Bosss Shocking Past and More Revealed!

Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia's most trusted society insider before it makes the news. 

The plot Thickins

Private equity dealmaker and co-head of TPG  Joel Thickins has found himself making headlines for all the wrong reasons after allegedly crashing his $170,000 BMW into five cars in 's east.

Police allege that Thickins struck a Mazda before ploughing into four parked vehicles on York Road, Paddington, about 7.20pm on Monday.

The 48-year-old was arrested and taken to Paddington Police Station, where he allegedly refused both a roadside breath test and a breath analysis.

Three of the five damaged vehicles were later towed from the scene. 

The Colorado-born financier is one of Australia's most influential corporate figures, overseeing investments worth tens of billions of dollars.

As of Thursday night, reports indicate he still has his job at TPG. 

Insiders describe the father of two as 'cocky', with one industry source offering a far more colourful descriptor that is best left unpublished.

When I asked around about Thickins this week, the same theme kept coming up: he's very private, has never understood why there is any interest in his personal life - and will be absolutely hating all the attention he's getting from the Paddo prang.

Long before this week's drama, Thickins had found himself in the spotlight as one of the driving forces behind a failed $2.87billion bid for Fairfax Media, which has since merged with Nine Entertainment.

The Fairfax pursuit ended in spectacular fashion, with media reports claiming Thickins had managed to get Fairfax's board 'seriously offside', leaving the publisher behind the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Australian Financial Review unwilling to entertain future dealings with either him or TPG.

Ironically, those who know him say he has little tolerance for media interest - whether in business or his personal life - so you can imagine he is having a hell of a week.

The same source claims Thickins played a key role in the acrimonious departure of former TPG-installed Novotech chief executive Rob Speedie, whose sudden exit followed what was publicly described as executive burnout.

Before relocating to Sydney, Thickins lived in Melbourne's bayside suburb of Hampton, described ungenerously by some as 'the poor man's Brighton'.

These days, he resides in a $14.75million clifftop home in South Coogee with his wife, Celina, and their two daughters.

Celina was previously an interior designer - the hobby job du jour for corporate wives.

Now she manages the Thickins Family Office - a private wealth vehicle she runs with her husband that exclusively backs women-led businesses - plus Scale Investors, billed as 'Australia's first women-led VC fund backing women-led start-ups'.

Last year, Scale Investors joined forces with the Forrest family's Minderoo Foundation as well as the children of fashion icon Carla Zampatti, including the label's CEO Alexander Schuman and Wentworth MP Allegra Spender.

Yet despite moving in some of Sydney's wealthiest circles, those familiar with the Thickins family insist they are far from your typical cashed-up society types.

'You won't find them holding court at Mimi's,' one well-placed source told me.

Thickins is due to appear before Waverley Local Court on June 30. We'll be there - and he won't be happy to see us.

#Collab 

When you're Australia's billionaire heiress-in-chief, why simply holiday in Europe when you can turn it into a business opportunity?

Deborah Symond O'Neil is set to embark on a glamorous end-of-month swing through London, Zurich, Paris and St Tropez - and, in a mildly surprising twist, her talent manager is already laying the groundwork for brand deals.

In a post to industry newsletter Social Diary, the mother of two's representative put out a call for beauty, fashion and travel brands keen to collaborate with the luxury influencer and businesswoman during her European getaway.

The fashion fixture - daughter of Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond and married to property developer Ned O'Neil - is expected to document the trip across her platforms.

Now, a shout-out for collabs is hardly unusual, but it's a touch eyebrow-raising for someone of Deb’s family wealth.

We all know she can afford the trip - and could probably pay for an entourage too.

One assumes the thinking is simple: if you're already hopping between Europe’s most glamorous destinations, why not turn the holiday into a business opportunity?

When life gives you lemons

You'd have to see it to believe it, but I am told that 1980s heart-throb Gary Sweet - of Police Rescue fame - is filling time between acting gigs in a most unexpected way.

Sorry, ladies, it's not . Instead, the veteran actor is earning a crust in the fresh produce section of a Northern Beaches supermarket.

Now, I won't reveal which national chain or its exact location - only to spare him from being inundated by adoring, lilac-haired fans.

My source, a regular shopper at the store in question, claims to have spotted the 69-year-old on multiple occasions in recent months. He reportedly responds somewhat sheepishly when recognised by customers.

Sweet is hardly short on acting credits. The multiple Logie winner has enjoyed a decades-long career, starring in hit series including Stingers and House Husbands.

More recently, he finished runner-up on the 2026 season of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

The father of six was a regular fixture in women's magazines throughout the '80s and '90s and, of course, endured a much-publicised split from former wife and swimming champion Johanna Griggs.

Until his recent sightings on the Northern Beaches, Sweet had been enjoying a quieter life with longtime partner, interior designer Nadia Dyall.

The couple have long been based in Melbourne's west with their two young sons, making his reported sideline as a Sydney fruiterer all the more curious.

Shelley's $20M move

Shelley Sullivan, one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs, can now be revealed as the mystery buyer behind Element Hill, Hamilton Island's spectacular $20million retreat.

The modern tropical estate, perched high above the Whitsundays, boasts an infinity pool, eight ensuite bedrooms and 240-degree north-facing views stretching across to Whitsunday Island.

Designed for entertaining on a grand scale, the property comfortably accommodates up to 16 guests.

Entertaining is something Sullivan knows a thing or two about. She has become almost as famous for her lavish parties and generosity as she is for building and selling MCoBeauty for a sizable amount.

Her recent Valentine's Day luncheon, and the 50th birthday she organised for close friend Daimon Downey, are already the stuff of eastern suburbs legend.

Element Hill changed hands through Sotheby's International Realty last November, with the buyer's identity remaining a closely guarded secret until recent settlement records revealed Sullivan's name on the title.

The luxury residence is no stranger to high-profile gatherings. Last June, it played host to the wedding of Matildas star Katrina Gorry and her partner, retired Swedish footballer Clara Markstedt.

Sullivan, who sold her remaining 50 per cent stake in MCoBeauty last year, has long been a devotee of Hamilton Island.

The acquisition comes during a busy period for the businesswoman. Sullivan recently returned to Sydney after a whirlwind trip to the United States, where she is understood to be splitting her time.

During that trip, she attended the global premiere of Office Romance, starring Jennifer Lopez - who, coincidentally, is also represented by talent giant CAA (Creative Artists Agency).

Since signing with CAA last year, Sullivan has been meeting with key talent, beauty brands and luxury lifestyle groups as she explores her next chapter after MCoBeauty.