Australian billionaire Robert Whyte, 81, ‘ignites family feud’ as he becomes engaged to socialite Alessandra Eddy, 38

Australian billionaire Robert Whyte, 81, is reportedly engaged to his much younger girlfriend Alessandra Eddy, 38.

Whyte, the 141st richest man in the country, has proposed to the owner of the fashion brand The Sunday Telegraph days before attending the annual Gold Dinner – Australia’s most exclusive charity gala.

The proposal was kept a closely guarded secret by the couple during the event, the report claims.

A prominent figure in Sydney’s social scene and single mother, Eddy is known for her role on the Gold Dinner committee.

During the event, she was seen interacting with guests, but she apparently chose to hide her new engagement ring.

Whyte was previously in a long-term relationship with Di Ipkendanz, to whom he reportedly never proposed.

According to rumors, Eddy’s father has objected to his daughter’s engagement to a man 43 years older than her.

Nicholas Eddy, a well-known Paddington lawyer, is said to be less than enthusiastic about his daughter’s meteoric rise into the billionaire lifestyle after she recently moved into Whyte’s sprawling $30 million mansion in Darling Point.

Whyte, the country’s 141st richest man, proposed to the owner of fashion brand The Sunday Telegraph, days before they attended the annual Gold Dinner – Australia’s most exclusive charity gala

Eddy founded the Australian fashion brand Luna Atelier, which was known and loved by A-listers such as Kelly Rowland, Cheyenne Tozzi and Kate Ritchie.

Whyte, a father of three, was a private investor and banker who built his fortune investing in property and stock markets, and was a close friend of the late billionaire Kerry Packer.

The 2020 AFR Rich List ranked him 141st in Australia.

Ny Breaking Australia has contacted the couple for comment.

A prominent figure in Sydney’s social scene and single mother, Eddy is known for her role on the Gold Dinner committee.