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The Block winners Omar and Oz address the controversy over their record-breaking auction win and their ‘millionaire mate’ bidder: ‘We deserve it’
The Block’s Omar Slaimankhel and Ozman ‘Oz’ Abu Malik have addressed their controversial record-breaking auction win.
The pair insist they “deserved” the win and their “friendship” with millionaire bidder Adrian Portelli was just smart networking.
‘We’ve done work, not just the construction, but also afterwards. We reached so many people, we were non-stop, so hard work pays off,” Omar told A Current Affair on Tuesday evening.
The Block’s Omar Slaimankhel and Ozman ‘Oz’ Abu Malik have addressed their controversial record-breaking auction win. The pair insisted they “deserved” the win and their “friendship” with millionaire bidder Adrian Portelli was just smart networking. In the picture with Adrian
“I feel like it happens a lot in this country. You’re doing so well and the next day you’re trying to justify why you won,” he continued.
“It’s a shame because we deserve it and we’ve done so well.”
The pair came under scrutiny for their “millionaire buddy” Adrian Portelli – the man whose aggressive bids pushed up the price of their Gisborne home.
‘We’ve done work, not just the construction, but also afterwards. We reached so many people, we were non-stop, so hard work pays off,” Omar told A Current Affair on Tuesday evening.
“I feel like it happens a lot in this country. You’re doing so well and the next day you’re trying to justify why you won,” he continued. “It’s a shame because we deserve it and we’ve done so well.”
Adrian shared a celebratory post on Instagram on Monday in which he relaxed in a pool with Omar and Oz, who won $1.6 million in prize money during Sunday night’s nail-biting final.
The photo showed the trio posing for a selfie in the pool while The Block played on the TV in the living room in the background.
It comes after Adrian, an online promotion guru with an estimated net worth of $8 million, hits back at false claims that he colluded with Omar and Oz to “manipulate” their record-breaking auction on Sunday.
Adrian opened the offer for Omar and Oz’s property for $4.5 million, which was much higher than the reserve price of $4.08 million, and his aggressive style meant eventual buyer Danny Wallis ended up with a dazzling $5,666,666 .66 paid for the 10-acre property.
He had opened the bid for House 5 for $4.5 million, which was much higher than the reserve price of $4.08 million.
His aggressive bids meant that eventual buyer Danny Wallis ended up paying a whopping $5,666,666.66 for the four-bedroom, 10-acre property, turning the boys into instant millionaires with a total profit of $1,686,666.66 – the largest victory in The Block’s 18-year history.
Since then, conspiracy theories have run rampant on social media, with some viewers falsely accusing the western Sydney partners of ‘manipulating’ the auction by bringing in Adrian to drive up the price.
Adrian, an online promotion guru with a net worth of $8 million, hit back at false claims that he colluded with Omar and Oz to “manipulate” their record Sunday auction
However, Adrian hit back at the claims, insisting he was a “real buyer.”
“For anyone who questioned the legitimacy of the auction, I was a real buyer with the intention of buying that property,” he wrote on Instagram.
“No one is responsible for what happened. It’s an auction. Believe it or not, but when you have two people who really want the property, a bidding war starts.’
He continued, “I’m happy to show my bank account to anyone who suggests these were fake bids.”
“For anyone who doubted the legitimacy of the auction, I was a real buyer with the intention of buying that property,” he wrote on Instagram