The wealthy lifetime of Ahmed Fahour, CEO behind main Latitude Monetary leak

• Latitude information leak boss is controversial enterprise chief
• He was beforehand concerned in controversy over wage packages.
• Ahmed Fahour owns $40 million mansion and supercar

The flamboyant company boss on the heart of Australia’s largest ever company information leak is a infamous self-promotional particular person whose exaggerated wage packages have sparked outrage.

Ahmed Fahour, 57, is the CEO of Latitude Monetary.Curiosity-free bank card utilized by shops reminiscent of Harvey Norman and Apple in Australia and a purchase now pay later firm.

The corporate has now revealed that the private info of as much as 15 million prospects, together with their driver’s license and passport numbers, was leaked in a devastating hack set that might eclipse even final 12 months’s large Optus breach.

However as backlash over the large information administration failure mounts, Mr. Fahour will go away the corporate this week after serving 4 years on the peak of the disaster.

Saying his plans to depart in August final 12 months, Mr Fahour is gearing as much as spend extra time along with his newlywed second spouse, Hannah, of their newly constructed $5.1m beachfront dream residence in Melbourne’s flamboyant seaside suburb of Sorrento.

Utilizing his large earnings from promoting Hawthorn mansion ‘Invergowrie’ for $40.5 million in 2021, he paid the bespoke five-bedroom home in money and doubled his cash in eight years after shopping for it for $20 million in 2013.

The daddy of 4, who’s twice married to yoga instructor Dionnie from his first marriage, drove a Maserati supercar with rego AMAZNN to work whereas he was CEO of Australia Publish earlier than splitting up in 2017 amid the excessive drama about his wage and bonuses.

John Stanhope, former head of Australia Publish, not too long ago wrote in a profile in regards to the boss, “A part of Ahmed’s background and expertise is that he’s just about a great salesperson and sells himself very properly.”

“He really believes it is well worth the worth he is asking for.”

Certainly one of eight youngsters of Lebanese immigrants, his Muslim son is at all times shy about his means to barter the most effective deal doable for himself.

This trait was first seen 18 years in the past when he was appointed CEO of NAB.

On the financial institution’s 2005 Common Assembly, Neil Clark, a former NAB CEO, underlined the excessive worth Mr Fahour locations on him.

He defined that in Mr Fahour’s first 28 days at NAB, he earned greater than Mr Clark earned in 45 years working on the highest ranges of Australian banking.

THE LIFE LINE THAT MOVES AHMED FAHOUR’S FAMILY

Ahmed Fahour defined how his dad and mom first relied on an unsecured mortgage just like the one supplied by Latitude to begin a house and enterprise after coming to Melbourne from Lebanon within the Nineteen Seventies.

They utilized to Avco, the private mortgage sponsor behind the guernseys of the native Carlton AFL membership on the time, and got $10,000 to open a dessert store within the Center East and begin a brand new life in Australia.

Mr Fahour concedes that the rate of interest might be exorbitant – however insists that the extra vital level is that they’re given an opportunity not given by the banks.

Lebanese-born Mr. Fahour is a serious donor of the Australian Islamic Museum in Melbourne, which was based by his brother Moustafa and runs the cafe along with his sister, Samira El Khafir, who competes on Masterchef.

Pauline Hanson questioned her Muslim background through the Australia Publish wage debate, however Mr Fahour backfired: “I really like this nation a lot.

We got here right here legally, we assimilated and we love being on this nation.

“I am actually sorry that the Senator commented at this degree.”

Mr Clark added dryly that he hoped Mr Fahour might do as properly for the shareholders as he did for himself.

This was a repeated statement a number of years later when he was CEO of Australia Publish and laid off 900 of his staff whereas his wage was quietly hidden from his annual report.

There was anger when it was later introduced that he made $5.6 million in 2016, far more than his predecessors on this position have been paid.

The exaggerated wage bundle was criticized by then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

“As Prime Minister and as a taxpayer, I met with the president right now,” stated the Prime Minister on the time.

“I believe that wage, that wage is simply too excessive.”

Even six years later, present Australia Publish CEO Paul Graham nonetheless has simply over $2 million in income in 2022, and that is made clear within the newest annual report.

Mr Fahour lastly left Australia Publish in 2017 resulting from payroll, after coming beneath the strain of a fierce public backlash.

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson stated her resignation was “nice” – however after seven years within the senior place,Mr. Fahrour left with a gold handshake of $10.8 million as base pay and bonus.

Six years later, Mr. Fahrour is stepping down once more, saying his intention to step down final August after 4 years on the helm of Latitude.

His tenure noticed him shaken up as soon as once more by the inventory choices debate in an deserted $4 billion inventory IPO that would earn him $50 million.

After a revised inventory providing went forward — at $2.60 per share — the inventory has since dropped to simply $1.14 on Tuesday, trending additional down as anger over the info breach escalates.

Even earlier than the main points of the leak emerged on March 16, the share worth was already $1.21. Web revenue after tax fell 66 p.c to $30.6 million, and income fell 12.1 p.c.

However he insists his four-year reign was a feat that moved the $2 billion agency from its place because the fifth largest shopper lender to second place.

“It is a enormous, enormous change,” he stated.

“It has been a privilege to function CEO of Latitude and I’m extremely happy with every thing the enterprise has completed.”

Mr Stanhope, who was head of Australia Publish through the wage debate, insisted that his enterprise genius was price each penny.

“Whenever you put your self on the market like he did, you set your self a objective,” Mr. Stanhope advised AFR in 2019.

“I believe he is superb at his job.”

HOW LATITUDE LEAK COMPARES WITH BIG OPTUS VIOLATION

The private info of as much as 15 million Latitude prospects was leaked within the newest assault, together with almost 8 million driver license numbers and almost 530,000 passport numbers, 3.2 million of which have been offered over the previous decade.

One other 6.1 million data courting again to 2005, which can comprise names, addresses, telephone numbers and/or dates of start, have been accessed within the breach.

Monday’s up to date numbers are 42 occasions bigger than Latitude’s preliminary report, dwarfing even final 12 months’s large Optus information breach.

Mockingly, CEO Ahmed Fahour not too long ago bragged, “We’ve an enormous information lake in our group.”

In one other interview, he prophesied, including: “Belief in establishments is at an all-time low. Belief in authorities is at an all-time low.”

“And that is why there are individuals who consider many organizations and leaders like a used automobile salesman proper now.”

But within the wake of the info breach, he has been extra modest this week, breaking his silence on the large-scale hacking assault.

“It’s extremely disappointing that such a big variety of extra prospects and candidates are affected by this occasion,” he admitted.

“We apologize unconditionally.”

It comes after Optus introduced in September that the private info of 10 million prospects, together with passport, Medicare and driver’s license numbers, had been leaked by hackers.

Prospects most affected by the breach got free month-to-month credit score test reviews to supply early warning of any identification theft makes an attempt utilizing stolen info.

These affected by the Optus assault could have already taken the required steps (like getting new driver’s license numbers or card numbers and altering passports) to guard themselves from the newest Latitude leak, however most will not.