Oliver Curtis has spoken candidly about his highly-publicised time in prison as he prepares to celebrate one year since his release.
The disgraced investment banker opened up to Daily Mail Australia about his new job working with PR queen wife Roxy Jacenko, his desire for more children, and his contempt for the man who helped put him behind bars – former best friend John Hartman.
The 32-year-old served a year-long sentence at Cooma Correctional Centre, after a sensational court case found him guilty of conspiring to commit insider trading. He was released on June 22, 2017.
From his new jailbird pal to working for his wife… and the unforgivable act by his best mate that means he’ll NEVER speak to him again: Inside the life of Roxy Jacenko’s husband Oliver Curtis as he rebuilds his life a year after leaving prison
‘Betrayed’ by former best friend John Hartman
During his headline-hitting trial, Curtis was pitted against the man with whom he committed the crimes – his former best friend, John Hartman.
Hartman became the prosecution’s star witness, testifying against Curtis in exchange for 10 per cent less jail time for himself.
And Curtis claims that’s a betrayal he will never forgive.
‘This was my best mate. The guy I lived with’: Curtis’ former best friend John Hartman (right) testified against him at trial
‘This was my best mate. The guy I lived with… To know that he was in with ASIC to turn around and basically throw me under the bus (was devastating),’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
Curtis and Hartman were childhood friends, having both attended the prestigious Sydney boys’ school, St Ignatius College, Riverview.
The pair both had notably wealthy fathers and grew up in the lap of luxury.
But they turned to insider trader to keep funding their increasingly lavish lifestyles, taking trips abroad and renting an expensive apartment near Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
‘This was my best mate. The guy I lived with’: Curtis (left) and Hartman (right) were childhood friends, having both attended the prestigious Sydney boys’ school, St Ignatius College, Riverview
Hartman served 15 months in jail, and now lives and works in Perth, where he is married with two young children.
Similarly, Curtis shares two children with his publicist wife Roxy – six-year-old Pixie and four-year-old Hunter.
When asked how he would explain his stint in jail to the couple’s children, he told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Obviously you’ve got to teach right and wrong. But I think it’s also about loyalty and it’s about friendship’.
Taking a clear dig at Hartman, he added: ‘If there’s one thing I’d like to instill in the children it’s loyalty. And how important friendship is. You’ve got to be loyal to people.’
A new life: Hartman served 15 months in jail, and now lives and works in Perth, where he is married with two young children
Family first: Curtis shares two children with publicist wife Roxy – six-year-old Pixie and four-year-old Hunter
Life behind bars
Curtis served out his sentence inside Cooma Correctional Centre, and told Daily Mail Australia that he tried to make the best of a bad situation.
‘You’ve got two ways to deal with it. You either shut down and be reclusive and stay within yourself – that’s not who I am. Or you have to deal with it, and fit in and adjust,’ he stated.
He even claimed he made some unlikely friendships behind bars, and is still in touch with his cellmate.
‘I did make good friends… My cellmate has been released, (and) he’s actually back in Vietnam now. I still speak to him quite often, a few times a week. You can’t go through an experience like that and not make friends,’ he revealed.
‘You have to deal with it, and fit in and adjust’: Curtis says he became close friends with his cellmate who has since been released from jail and is living in Vietnam
Behind bars: Curtis pictured doing yard duty inside Cooma Correctional Centre in 2016
And while he says he does not suffer nightmares or post-traumatic stress from the experience, Curtis got emotional when describing his pain at being separated from his wife, Jacenko.
The powerhouse publicist was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her husband began his stint in prison.
‘I was in a 2 by 4 (cell) on my own in solitary confinement… And I got let out once a day. I was locked into another cage to take a phone call, I had a seven minute phone call.
‘During that process, over a matter of three or four days, I found out A) that Roxy had found a lump B) she went to get tested and C) that she had cancer … And you’re sitting in a jail cell on your own with nobody and no ability to communicate with anybody,’ he reminisced.
A free man: Oliver pictured leaving Cooma Correctional Centre in June 2017, after serving twelve months behind bars
Life after prison – working with Roxy
Almost a year on from his release, Curtis has not returned to trading, instead trying his hand at a variety of other projects.
After spending time at medical start-up E-Nome, he is now working at Jacenko’s public relations company, Sweaty Betty.
‘It’s not that I work for her per se,’ Curtis clarified.
‘I’m still doing other things, but at the end of the day… I said for a long time that I would love to help her out,’ he continued, adding that Jacenko’s business empire continues to expand.
When pressed on what it was like working in close proximity to his wife, he laughed: ‘I have plenty of rows with her at home, so I know how to deal with her better than probably anybody.
‘To get through eight years of marriage – save for a year of separation – you know each other very well.
‘It’s no stress for me. I respect her for what she’s good at.’
Back to work! Oliver is now working with Roxy at her public relations business
More children on the horizon?
While Curtis is smitten with his children Pixie and Hunter, the doting dad revealed his desire to expand his brood.
‘I think we’d love more kids. But I think with Roxy’s treatment (for cancer) it makes that harder. If it happens, it happens. But we love our kids,’ Curtis told Daily Mail Australia.
And he certainly loves Jacenko.
‘I think we’d love more kids’: Oliver told Daily Mail Australia he’d like to expand his brood
The blonde businesswoman was seen scandalously kissing her ex-boyfriend, Nabil Gazal, prompting speculation that she would divorce Curtis following his release from prison.
However, the pair are stronger than ever before, with Curtis described his wife as ‘inspiring, loving, caring and compassionate’.
After proposing to Jacenko for a second time last October, he is keeping coy about whether they will renew their vows in another wedding ceremony.
‘You’ll have to watch that space,’ he teased.
‘Inspiring, loving, caring and compassionate’: During his interview with Daily Mail Australia, a loved-up Curtis gushed over his wife