John gandel biography
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Not if you’re Gandel.
The 83-year-old is, according to the latest Forbes estimate, worth $5 billion. What he will happily talk about is his philanthropic foundation, which Philanthropy Australia’s Davies says is “a big operation that requires the same zeal, intelligence and rigour as building a business”. He owns 50% of Chadstone Shopping Centre and holds a 17% stake in Vicinity Centres, which controls the other half.
Then invite all the non-billionaires, anyone with some small change and a big imagination, to come to your formerly private domain, 135ha of rugged coastal terrain on the southeastern tip of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. “It’s a big exercise getting them all into place,” says Edwards, who came on board as curator a year ago and has been advising on placements, the acquisition of new works and site-specific commissions.
Edwards describes the collection as “a selective and representative group of important Australian sculptors” combined with a number of “key international artists”.
“It’s quite lovely; an unusual shape, a little bit elusive,” he says.
Geoffrey Edwards, the former director of Geelong Gallery and former head of sculpture at the National Gallery of Victoria, joins us to discuss Four Lines Oblique Gyratory, the kinetic stainless steel mobile by American sculptor George Rickey, which has been positioned near the main building.
Even when she learns of the strict parameters set for their exclusive interview with The Weekend Australian Magazine, Davies expresses surprise they have granted an interview at all. Monumental sculpture, defined as anything over seven metres, is all the rage among the world’s affluent art collectors. Two sets of lips pout, inscrutably, below the cyclops stare of one unblinking eye.
“They rarely speak publicly and every time they do the message is singular: put the spotlight on those doing the work, the scientists, researchers, artists and community organisations they donate to.”
Today, Gandel is keen to turn the spotlight on his legacy project.
He takes in the panoramic vista, a huge sky arcing over landscaped grassland that slopes down to the sea. A giant black bird, 13m high, looms to your left, frozen mid-peck over a yellow cuboid worm. Head south on the EastLink towards the Mornington Peninsula and reality falls away. Share it with the people, of course. His wealth primarily derives from the Gandel Group's extensive real estate portfolio, which has shifted focus from early retail operations to dominant holdings in commercial properties.The cornerstone of Gandel's fortune is his 50% ownership in Chadstone Shopping Centre, Australia's largest retail complex valued at approximately A$6.7 billion, co-owned with Vicinity Centres.[44] The Gandel family also holds a substantial 15.03% stake in Vicinity Centres, a major ASX-listed retail property trust that manages Chadstone and numerous other malls across the country.[45] These investments underscore the evolution of his holdings from the family's original Sussan clothing retail business, founded in the 1930s, to a property empire emphasizing high-value shopping destinations that generate steady rental income and capital growth.Net worth estimates vary across publications due to differences in valuation methodologies and currency conversions.
He leads the way past the ceremonial black curves of the 5m-high Grand Arch, by abstract sculptor Inge King, who died last year aged 100, just months shy of seeing her commissioned work in situ. Over the years, they have distributed tens of millions of dollars to organisations supporting youth education, medical and biotechnology innovation, and various Jewish causes.
Gandel refuses to answer even the most anodyne questions about his business interests, but has previously attributed his success to the deregulation of shopping hours and the public’s embrace of shopping as a leisure activity. His upbringing, shaped by his parents’ hard work and perseverance, played a crucial role in defining his business acumen and philanthropic spirit.
The Early Business Years: Sussan Clothing Chain
John Gandel’s career began in the 1950s when he took control of his parents’ women’s clothing business, Sussan.
By the mid-1990s, the group listed the Gandel Retail Trust on the Australian Securities Exchange with an initial portfolio of six retail assets, which later evolved through mergers into broader holdings.[30][31]In the 2000s, Gandel diversified further with significant investments in listed property entities. Under his leadership, Sussan became a well-known name in retail fashion, catering primarily to women.
Their daughter, Lisa Thurin, is notably involved as a director on the board of the Gandel Foundation, supporting initiatives in community and Jewish causes.[36]The family collaborates closely on decisions for the Gandel Group and Gandel Philanthropy, with all members contributing to strategic directions in business holdings and charitable giving.
“In a way it’s more that I love all of them except for the odd one that I’m not in love with.” Gandel speaks in low tones, barely audible above the whine of the workmen’s power tools, and each word is weighed carefully.
But then we reach the sculpture park proper and an aesthete’s exhilaration overwhelms the buttoned-down businessman.
He is the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, Sam and Fay Gandel, who settled in Melbourne and operated a corsetry store on Collins Street.