The Block’s mysterious ‘Mr Lambo’ denies that he helped Omar and Oz ‘rigg’ their record-breaking auction and offers to produce his bank account as proof he was a real bidder
Omar Slaimankhel and Ozman ‘Oz’ Abu Malik’s ‘millionaire friend’ Adrian Portelli has responded to claims they ‘rigged’ their record-breaking auction during Sunday night’s finale of The Block.
Conspiracy theories have been circulating on social media and some viewers have flatly accused the Sydney west cronies of “rigging” the auction by tying Adrian up with ropes to inflate the price.
However, Adrian — an online advertising guru with a net worth of $8 million — insisted he was a “genuine buyer,” even offering to provide his bank account as proof.
The Block’s mystery ‘Mr Lambo’ has denied claims he helped Omar and Oz ‘rigg’ their record-breaking auction and is offering to produce his bank account as proof he was a real bidder
“For anyone questioning the legitimacy of the auction, I was a genuine buyer with full intentions to purchase this property,” he wrote on Instagram.
“No one is to blame for what happened. It’s an auction. Believe it or not, when you have two people who really want the property, a bidding war is going to start.’
He continued, “I’m happy to show my bank account to anyone who suspects these were bogus bids.”
Adrian — an online advertising guru with a net worth of $8 million — insisted he was a “genuine buyer” and even offered to provide his bank account as proof
Adrian, who came to the auction in a flashy yellow Lamborghini and seemed to know Omar and Oz well, opened the bid for House 5 at $4.5 million, which was much higher than the $4.08 million reserve price.
His aggressive bidding meant eventual buyer Danny Wallis ended up paying a staggering $5,666,666.66 for the 10-acre, four-bedroom estate, making the boys instant millionaires with total winnings of $1,686,666.66 – the largest Victory in The Block’s 18-year history.
After her victory, some fans speculated that the auction was “shady” and that Portelli was “set up” to force Wallis to spend more. But an equal number of viewers refuted this, saying the boys won fair and calling the criticism “racist”.