Car Enthusiast’s Record $39m Melbourne Penthouse Buy

Self-made millionaire property investor Adrian Portelli has reportedly splashed a record $39 million on a two-storey penthouse in Melbourne. 

But that’s not the end of the eye-watering expenditure. The car enthusiast intends on craning in one of his beloved cars as a centrepiece of his new home. 

No stranger to the limelight, Adrian Portelli became a household name after emerging as a would-be buyer on Channel 9’s The Block, where he was nicknamed “Lambo Guy” amid furore over an auction.

▲ Adrian Portelli in an image from his Instagram account.

The ink is still drying on the penthouse contract negotated by Colliers agent Tim Storey. 

The 1200sq m double-storey apartment in SP Setia’s Sapphire by the Gardens, which completed in October last year, would transact at a rate of $32,500 a square metre. 

Portelli said he acquired the apartment that spans levels 57 and 58 of the 60-storey residential tower because he liked the area. 

He was also looking to customise his dream home and move in in the next 12 months. 

“I’m looking to install a swimming pool, multiple kitchens and potentially a bowling alley,” Portelli said. 

“Being a car enthusiast, I am also going to crane in a showstopping car, which will become a true centrepiece in the home.”

Inside Melbourne’s most expensive apartment

The 60-storey residential tower was completed in October last year—99 per cent of the 325 apartments have been sold and residents have moved in. 

Portelli is working with Colliers Residential and architects Cox Architecture and Fender Katsalidis to customise his penthouse.

Amenities in the building include an infinity edge swimming pool, a gym, sauna, sky lounge, a cinema, a karaoke room, a chef’s kitchen and a lounge with a fireplace.

The twin towers, designed by award-winning Australian architects Fender Katsalidis and Cox Architecture, are located directly opposite Carlton Gardens and the UNESCO world heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, close to the Melbourne CBD. 

The residential tower connects to the 500-hotel room, Shangri-La Melbourne, which will be one of the brand’s four flagship hotels globally, through a sky bridge on level 47.

Portelli is reportedly worth $350 million after making his fortune in tech start-ups in Los Angeles, but now lives in Melbourne. He also owns property on the Gold Coast.