James Packer looked tired and stressed as he arrived at Crown Resort’s annual general meeting following pokie tampering allegations against his casino empire.
The billionaire, who has been a recluse since splitting with former fiancée Mariah Carey last year, only recently admitted the whirlwind romance was ‘a mistake’.
In his first public appearance in months, Packer clutched a cup of coffee and walked through Crown’s flagship Melbourne casino flanked by a team of executives.
The 50-year-old casino magnate appeared to be sporting a fuller figure as he tucked a tight-fitting shirt into his black suit pants ahead of the important meeting.
Packer returned to his position as director of Crown Resort’s board in August this year, after sensationally quitting in 2015 following huge casino profit slumps.
James Packer looked stressed as he arrived at Crown Resort’s annual general meeting
The billionaire, who has been a recluse since splitting with former fiancée Mariah Carey last year, appeared to be sporting a much fuller figure
Photographs taken during the twilight phase of their relationship in 2016 showed a much slimmer Packer showing off his body while holidaying in the Caribbean
Packer (pictured in 2003 walking in Sydney) only recently admitted his whirlwind romance with Mariah Carey was ‘a mistake’
Last week Crown Resort was rocked by allegations of misconduct made against it in federal parliament.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie used parliamentary privilege to allege that Crown had tampered with pokie machines to increase profits.
It was also alleged that Crown allowed the use of illicit drugs at the casino, covered up domestic violence, and had avoided scrutiny by the money movement watchdog AUSTRAC of transactions over $10,000.
Crown came out swinging against the allegations earlier this week and are expected to face more questions on the matter from shareholders at the AGM.
The company took out full-page advertisements in newspapers to ’emphatically reject’ allegations by Mr Wilkie, challenging the MP to report any information he had to proper authorities.
Packer, 50, returned to his position as director of Crown Resort’s board in August this year
Packer, who has returned as director of Crown Resorts, walked alongside Executive Chariman John Alexander (right)
Aided by a cup of coffee, the billionaire casino magnate made his first public appearance in months
Mr Packer, who owns 48.5 per cent of Crown, made headlines when it was alleged that he gave gifts to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Australian last week, Packer revealed he had been living as a recluse at his Buenos Aires ranch since his break-up with Mariah in October 2016 after 18 months together.
He described how he met the songstress at a ‘low point’ in his life when debt within his empire was escalating and he was looking for a way to spend more time in Los Angeles to be close to his children with second wife Erica.
Packer said he was also under strain from a painstaking negotiation process with his estranged sister Gretel over how they would divvy up and invest money they had been left by their late father Kerry.
Explaining that it was Brett Ratner, his partner in an ill-fated Hollywood venture RatPac, who introduced him to Carey, he said: ‘I was at a low point in my personal life. Documenting the negotiations with my sister was taking longer than expected.
‘She was kind, exciting and fun. Mariah is a woman of substance. She is very bright. But it was a mistake for her and a mistake for me.’
Packer recently said his relationship with Mariah Carey was a ‘mistake’ in his first interview since the pair split last October. They are pictured in May 2016
Packer said he was at a ‘low point’ when he was ‘terrified’ by his escalating business debt when he met the ‘very bright’ Mariah. They met, dated, became engaged and split within 18 months
Packer denied claims he pursued a romance with Carey (above together in Italy in June 2015) for the glamour they attracted and said he was simply trying to spent more time in Los Angeles to be near his children who live there when they were introduced in 2015
Photographs taken during the twilight phase of their relationship in 2016 showed a much slimmer Packer showing off his body while holidaying in the Caribbean.
Packer’s ongoing battle with weight loss has been well documented. In 2011, he lost 35 kilograms before undergoing lap band surgery.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph in 2012, Packer admitted weight gain was an ongoing struggle for him.
‘I’ve been up and down,’ he told the publication.
‘I’ve been really fit a couple of times before in my life, and then I’ve battled with my weight for the past five years.’