Following the controversial results of the show’s final auctions, which saw the house of Omar Slaimankhel sold for almost $6 million, the man who was at the center of the controversy hit back.
The winning bid of $1.68 million was the highest amount ever paid for a property on The Block, but some viewers believe it was a setup.
Omar and his partner, Sydney residents, Oz, were the first couple to go to auction. There were a number of interested parties who tried to claim their four-bedroom home in Gisborne, Victoria.
The auction quickly became heated as the wealthy buyers competed for the home. One of the men who tried to claim the property was Adrian Portelli, who was known for his flashy car.
His presence during the auction caused some viewers to believe he was a fake bidder. However, Mr Portelli later took to social media to dispute the rumors.
In response to the controversy, Mr Portelli took to Instagram to explain that he was a genuine buyer who had every intention of purchasing the property.
He went head-to-head with Danny Wallis, a serial Block buyer, during the auction. The price of the property, which had initially been set at around $4 million, eventually went beyond the reserve.
He also responded to the criticism he received, saying that he didn’t have the money to back up his high bid. He claimed that if there were two genuine buyers, a bidding war would likely break out.
The Block winners appeared on Nova’s morning show to defend their integrity.
The Block’s newly minted winners, Omar and his partner, Sydney residents, Oz, denied that they conspired with the show’s villain, Lambo Guy, to boost the price of their property.
According to Omar, they were able to reach out to various people, including a mutual friend, before finding a potential buyer in Mr Portelli.
He also maintained that Mr Portelli loved the house and was happy to have had three wealthy individuals bid on it.
Mr Portelli arrived at the property in a yellow Lamborghini. His bid of $4.5 million was half a million over the reserve price. Despite the criticism he received, Mr Portelli was still able to successfully follow through with his high bid. He is an online promotions guru who runs a company called LMCT+, which focuses on luxury goods and houses.
He recently purchased a rare Koenigsegg CC850, which was more expensive than the house he would have bought in Gisborne. He spent over $6.5 million on the car.