They’re flash with cash, own pubs galore and have seats at the most powerful tables in business and politics.
Meet the Laundy clan, long-time Sydney hotel royalty – but as of this week, better known as the family of The Bachelorette’s champagne-spilling charmer, Stu.
The father-of-four, 44, is the son of pub king Arthur Laundy, an heir to his $400 million fortune and manager of the family company.
He is also the brother of Turnbull government assistant industry minister, Craig Laundy, who relentlessly ribs him on Twitter – and freely admits ‘I got the brains, he got the looks’.
With Stu widely tipped to win Sophie Monk’s heart during the hit show, Daily Mail Australia takes a fresh look at the cashed-up clan.
Time to meet the family? The Bachelorette intruder Stu Landy, 44, met Sophie Monk, 37, on the show this week. If he wins, Monk could be joining the cashed-up clan
Pub barons: Hotel king Arthur Laundy is a BRW rich-lister. His CEO son, Stu, reportedly has a fleet of cars, a superyacht – and is the heir to the fortune
Political connection: Stu’s brother Craig is the MP for the western Sydney seat of Reid and the Turnbull government’s Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
Monk, seen here in a promotional photo, is said to have met Laundy on a previous occasion – a fact which was laid bare on the program this week
Arthur Laundy
Stu’s father, Arthur Laundy Jr, has been on the BRW Rich List since 2013 – but his name has been synonymous with the Sydney pub scene for much longer.
Arthur Laundy Jr.’s name has long has been synonymous with the Sydney pub scene
The family has been in the booze business since 1945, with the contestant’s grandfather, Arthur Laundy Sr. and grandmother Veronica, running the Sackville Pub in Rozelle.
Laundy Sr died in a light plane accident in 1969 and the frothy family business was thrust upon his son of the same name.
The group now runs more than 20 suburban and NSW regional pubs, spanning from Liverpool to Long Jetty on the state’s Central Coast.
Laundy Jr vaulted into the list of the country’s richest men and women after striking a lucrative joint pub venture with Woolworths in 2012. He has stayed there since.
But it hasn’t been all plain sailing. Some tensions in the family spilled into public view in 2014 when a dispute between Arthur and his sister Robyn De Angelis over their mother’s will went to court, with the dispute eventually settling.
Serious business: Assistant Industry Minister Craig Laundy with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop
Craig Laundy
Craig Laundy and brother Stuart are seen in this family photograph
Stu’s older brother was first elected the member of Parliament for the south-western Sydney seat of Reid in 2013, when the Coalition was swept into office.
Now Malcolm Turnbull’s assistant minister for science and industry, Laundy delighted in his brother’s reality show debut.
He has tweeted up a storm since Stu helicoptered into the program as an intruder this week, relishing in the show’s confected drama.
He mocked his brother for his fumbled attempt to pour Monk a glass of champagne – posting a video of himself tidily pouring a schooner.
Contestant: Stu Laundy is rumoured to be the Bachelorette favourite for 2017
When a punter quipped ‘your bachelorette tweets are like a sideline reality show’, Laundy replied ‘I’m taking Stu’s acting debut on Bachelorette very seriously’.
But the family’s brush with TV fame may have brought more scrutiny than Craig would like.
On Friday, Mr Laundy was forced to confront reports he had moved out of his western Sydney electorate for an $8 million mansion in Hunters Hill.
‘I have worked and garnered support for more causes in the electorate in the past four years than the Labor Party have for the 91 years they held the seat before me,’ he told News Corp Australia.
The De Angelis clan
Cousins: Hotelier Phil De Angelis is pictured left with former partner, the interior designer Nellie Tilley. His brother Peter De Angelis was previously linked to Sunrise’s Samantha Armytage
The other arm of the family – the De Angelis clan – also work in the booze business, running a separate hotel group.
And two of Stu’s cousins, Peter and Phillip, have previously been romantically linked to big-name Sydney personalities.
Daily Mail Australia this year revealed Phillip was charged with a series of alleged criminal offences relating to his eastern suburbs interior designer partner, Nellie Tilley.
He was accused of assaulting, intentionally choking and stealing from eastern suburbs interior designer Ms Tilley, as well as other alleged offences.
The case is before the courts and he is yet to enter a plea on the charges.
Meantime, Phillip’s brother, Peter, has previously been linked to Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage.
Stu himself reportedly has a track record with A-list women.
He has previously been linked to TV presenter Sophie Faulkiner and swimmer Stephanie Rice.