Lonely at the top: Property developer, 43, worth $866million opens up about ‘all consuming’ struggle to build his empire – and admits his friends are ‘far more life experienced’ than him
- Jonathan Hallinan, 43, is one of Australia’s richest property developers
- He has amassed an enormous $866m fortune after purchasing first home at 19
- But says he has suffered while slowly building his empire, calling it ‘insulating’
One of Australia’s richest men has opened up about the sacrifices he made in order to build his $866million empire.
Jonathan Hallinan, 43, from Melbourne, is the founder of property group BPM and has established residential and hotel developments across the world.
Speaking to The Australian, Mr Hallinan said his financial success had cost him invaluable ‘real life experiences’ and consumed his life.
‘It’s insulating. People see really successful people as the successful people that they’d love to be, but to be incredibly successful at any one thing, you’re actually living a very insulated life,’ Mr Hallinan revealed.
Jonathan Hallinan, 43, (pictured) from Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s east, is the founder of property group BPM and has established residential and hotel developments both in Australia and across the globe
The 43-year-old slowly built his $866 million empire after purchasing his first property at 19 – although it has all come at a cost
Mr Hallinan said to get to his position took a ‘drive that was all consuming’, revealing he think about work from sunrise to sunset – even when spending time with family.
The 43-year-old admitted there were also social drawbacks to his huge financial success.
‘You’re not necessarily worldly … you’re not life experienced. My friends who have nothing are far more life experienced than I am,’ he said.
Mr Hallinan said he got his first taste of money when he started out as a paper boy with his father at the age of ten.
Nine years later, after completing a carpenter apprenticeship, he bought his own property and renovated it, doubling his investment in just 18 months.
The property developer says that his life can become quite ‘insulating’ but believes for anyone to truly successful at one thing, you’d be living ‘a very insulated life’
After gaining an apprenticeship in carpeting, he bought his first property at the age of 19 and renovated and subdivide it to double his investment in just 18 months
He attributes his success in the property development game to his eye for tasteful design and his work ethic.
‘It’s a bit like being an Olympic athlete. They’re not getting there with balance, they’re not living a multilayered life and winning the 100m sprint.’
He revealed it had taken him over two decades in the profession to come to the realisation there was more to life than success.
While he acknowledges that things are changing in his life, he shows no signs slowing down.
He recently acquired a men’s suiting business, a burgeoning health and fitness brand and has invested in a major restaurant in Los Angeles,. He is also looking into developing apartment buildings in and around Los Angeles later this year.
His latest project, the soon-to-be-completed Shadow Play building in Melbourne’s Southbank, consists of apartments ranging from $400,000 to $2.5 million.
Mr Hallinan (pictured centre) said that he sacrificed becoming worldly to become a successful property developer – saying his friends who have ‘nothing’ have more life experience than him
Mr Hallinan’s latest project is BPM’s soon to be completed Shadow Play (pictured) development in Melbourne’s Southbank