Andrew Hornery
Private Sydney
Sydney Morning Herald
JULY 7 2017
While Miranda Kerr’s silence on her “romance” with Malaysian billionaire Jho Low, which last week resulted in her handing over $11 million worth of sparkly jewels from her Los Angeles safe deposit box to US government agents, has been deafening, PS has managed to unearth a few more details about the model and the moneybags’ seemingly unlikely connection.
Among the jewels Kerr handed over, according to The Wall Street Journal, was a 11.72 carat heart-shaped diamond pendant, a Valentine’s Day gift in 2014 from former “boyfriend” and Malaysian financier Low.
PS can reveal that later that year, in August, Kerr and her Californian-based agent Kristal Fox, enjoyed Low’s hospitality aboard his $250 million superyacht Equanimity while it was bobbing off the idyllic coastline of Corfu.
Fresh from splitting with her husband Orlando Bloom, Kerr was spotted in Corfu at the time and even made the local press, but it was her host who is raising eyebrows three years later as the central figure in a corruption scandal that has engulfed Malaysia’s powerful elite.
Fox and Kerr appear to have enjoyed a spot of superyacht-swapping back in 2014, being choppered from one mega pleasure craft to another, Fox even uploading a shot of herself on social media, champagne in hand, departing from Equanimity following her stay aboard with Kerr.
About the same time, Kerr was also a guest aboard James Packer’s Arctic P, and PS was told back then she was attempting to drum up investment in her skin care range with Packer, whom she later described as a good friend, apparently offering her business advice.
Kerr’s US spokesman Mark Fabiani did not respond to PS’ queries about the Corfu trip. Last week he told this column: “From the start of the inquiry, Miranda Kerr co-operated fully and pledged to turn over the gifts of jewellery to the government.”
Kerr’s sparkling jewels lost a little lustre after they were identified in civil forfeiture lawsuits filed by the US Justice Department pursuing assets allegedly bought with money misappropriated from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
The Equanimity with its gold-plated interiors was also among the items to be seized during the US Justice Department investigation.
#1 by bruno on Saturday, 8 July 2017 - 8:55 pm
Only a chubby stupid fool would flaunt his ill gotten wealth so publicly.If only this stupid fool could remain silent as a church mouse,this mother of all financial scandals might be outed five years or more later or even never.
Throwing USD 100k upwards,three or four times a week in NYC nightclubs,of course would bring unwanted attention.Leaving his rented USD 25K apartment,USD 10-15k apartments for his entourage near Central Park in a convoy of 5-6 SUV’s would of course raised eyebrows.Especially for a twenty something year old.This was when he was still new to the game,when involved in the Trengannu Investment Fund.His spending spree just got super big when 1MDB later came into the picture.
Malaysian media,the opposition and the public only got wind of this fat chubby boyish playboy,when the NYP ran an almost two full page about this free spending super rich boy from a super rich family from Malaysia.Well,Najib and his gang forget to rein in and tell this fat chubby boy to keep a low profile.An expensive to learn.Yet,anyone making a living on the streets,can easily tell them it is call “streets smarts”.
#2 by good coolie on Sunday, 9 July 2017 - 12:56 am
This Wan Emdibi is kind-hearted indeed. Banyak dia belanja! Seize all the ill-gotten assets, U.S.A/Russia, “if you are listening.” Return them to us, s’il vous plait. We can sell all the carats to the tin-karat chap and get something out of it for the poor people, including some of our students who are surviving on tea and buns (“believe me!”).
“How low can you go?” says the old dance-song long before John Travolta’s dance routines took shape. Maybe this is the last time we Malaysians will let our leaders waste public funds like this.
I just heard the Greek chorus: “High Hopes, My Dearr Darrling. Next time it will be in the trillions!”
#3 by undertaker888 on Sunday, 9 July 2017 - 5:59 pm
Fatman of Manchester is pretty much silent on this while harping on LGE”s bungalow. MO1″s stepson owns multi-million dollar property in US, the Fatman is also pretty much quiet. All these ill gotten wealth is mountainful compared to LGE”s mole hill.
#4 by good coolie on Thursday, 13 July 2017 - 11:47 pm
It seems 1 MDB has secretly done a lot of good for Malaysians like throwing a few coins, a few pieces of meat and some bread, to us beggared Malaysians. In return we allow them to squander RM50 billion in needless losses, and allow undeserving people to get gifts of yachts, artworks, 22-carat diamond necklaces, etc. at our expense. Are we Stupid? Maybe.