The ‘iron fist’ of high society: Adored and feared, the ever-discreet Linda Penn is worth $400million and lives in Sydney’s finest homes. Now we reveal the full extent of her family’s behind-the-curtain influence

Linda Penn looks every inch the high society doyenne upon first impression.

With a distinguished ancestry and devoting her time to charitable endeavors, this mother of three can be considered as the Australian equivalent of a homegrown noble.

She doesn’t hold any inheritance titles, yet she gracefully moves amidst Sydney’s upscale eastern neighborhoods. With a staggering net worth of $400 million, she is not only a successful entrepreneur but also a dominant figure at the nation’s most prestigious charity events, wielding influence like an iron fist.

Linda, along with her brother Jeffrey Mueller, jointly owns the men’s fashion label Lowe. A significant portion of her time is spent traveling across Europe to participate in the most prominent designer events throughout the year.

She manages all Lowe’s operations on a full-time basis, encompassing more than 190 stores, online platforms, and approximately 1,900 employees spread across Australia. Moreover, she engages in remarkable charitable fundraising activities as well.

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David, her spouse who is a dentist, established Southern Cross Dental Laboratories. Together, they have three kids, and one of them, their daughter, resides abroad.

It appears that the oldest child, Joshua, is continuing along the path set by his mother since he now manages the women’s clothing store, Belinda International, located in Double Bay, Sydney.

Belinda International once had a store in Prahran, Melbourne, but it has since closed.

Linda previously said that despite being famous in business, her family is her priority.

Linda advised, “Take good care of your physical and emotional health as working moms.

Prioritize your family over work by either being a leader who values employees with families, or finding an employer who understands the importance of family time. Always put family first in life’s priorities.

Apart from being a renowned actor, Joshua additionally jointly owns the upscale Double Bay furniture and home decor store named Palmer & Penn alongside his spouse, Ben Palmer. Together, they are parents to two lovely kids.

Linda has interests well beyond charity and retail, however. 

Quietly prominent socialite David, along with his spouse, have established themselves as significant players in the Double Bay real estate market by purchasing numerous large-scale retail properties in the region.

As a devoted follower, I’m fortunate to call a lavish mansion nestled on the priciest avenue of Point Piper my home. This prestigious address comes equipped with a million-dollar parking facility for my luxurious vehicle.

The luxurious Villa Veneto, designed by Michael Suttor, located on Wolseley Road, boasts a staggering price tag of $53 million, making it one of the priciest residences in the vibrant Harbour City.

Initially constructed by Shark Tank investor Andrew Banks and his spouse Andrea, this grand five-story residence became popularly known as ‘The Vatican’ because of its architectural design inspired by Italy.

Linda is well-known for often entertaining Sydney’s elite within her expansive residence, organizing charity galas and social functions.

In 2016, she once hosted an opulent Masquerade Ball that was entirely funded, benefiting the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI).

This week, news surfaced that Joshua and Ben, her son, had successfully sold their luxurious house on Wyuna Road, Point Piper, for a whopping $23.5 million.

The pair, with a shared son Brooklyn (age 6) and daughter Blake (4), are preparing for a trip to the southern part of France. There, they plan to work on refurbishing the Penn family’s grand estate situated in Cap-d’Ail.

To begin with, they acquired the Wyuna Rd property, originally owned by Mark Moran, a prominent figure in the nursing home industry, and his spouse Evette, for approximately $16 million.

Joshua and Ben resided temporarily at ‘Capri’, an Edwardian house they share ownership with Linda and David, as they awaited the reconstruction of their home in Double Bay.

That Carlotta Road property was purchased for $6.7million in 2020 and is almost ready to move into.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that Linda’s brother, Jeffrey Mueller, along with his spouse, Stephanie, possess a striking five-bedroom home – a true architectural marvel – which was designed by Studio Johnston in the scenic neighborhood of Rose Bay.

They bought the property, which took six years to build, for $38.5million in July 2024.

Although her family lives in grand houses and travels luxuriously, Linda is most recognized for orchestrating things from behind the scenes in her philanthropic projects.

She mentioned that she pays special attention to projects like CMRI, Carrie Bickmore’s Beanies for Brain Cancer, and Start in Life, which focuses on underprivileged schoolchildren.

Linda, along with her son Joshua, co-chairs the Gold Dinner Committee, while also firmly guiding the yearly Sydney Children’s Hospital charity event with strong leadership.

This month, a mom and her son set a new fundraising record of $84.3 million for their foundation. Notably, Linda made quite an impression on the red carpet wearing an eye-catching Oscar de la Renta dress that cost $30,000.

Each year, an influential mix of business leaders and philanthropists attend the gala.

Previously, notable figures such as Chris Hemsworth, Roxy Jacenko, Ian Thorpe, Hamish Blake, and Karl Stefanovic were among those invited to an exclusive event.

In 2023, individuals such as Candice Warner, Lincoln Younes, and Cooper Cronk were present at the event.

In contrast, by 2024, as the reigning queen of Sydney’s social circles, Linda decisively forbade celebrities from participating in the Gold Dinner, thus ending their attendance.

Through her selective approach towards social gatherings, she has earned a powerful image within the upper class, despite the fact that those who are familiar with her attest to her being genuinely friendly and approachable.

In preparation for the fundraising event last year, Gold Dinner’s co-chair Joshua disclosed their intention to avoid inviting mainstream celebrities in the future since they appear to provide minimal benefit.

At that moment, Joshua clarified that while he’s often advised to extend invitations to celebrities or well-known rugby players and include their partners in the guest list, such events are simply not our style.

‘We have done it before and they end up taking up valuable space.’

Joshua suggested the issue was celebrities taking attention away from the purpose of the event.

In 2021, noteworthy celebrities included Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington from Sunrise, along with the former Wiggle, Emma Watkins.

Sydney’s wealthy elite made up most of the guest list.

Each year, an exclusive event called the annual gala takes place at an undisclosed venue in Sydney, featuring a fresh theme different from previous years.

This year for the initial time, the Gold Dinner took place on the Parade Ground Lawn of the Royal Botanic Gardens, nestled among some of Sydney’s most recognized cityscapes.

Located near Government House, the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge (all lit up during the Vivid festival), the theme emphasized on “Brightening a Child’s World.

Visitors thoroughly appreciated a captivating event, striving to achieve a record-breaking goal of $80 million, which they successfully surpassed.

For nearly three decades, the Gold Dinner has brought together Australian leaders and influential business figures in an effort to aid the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network via the SCHF.

The Gold Series, initially limited to Perth, now intends to host events in both America and Britain. It stands as one of Australia’s most revered philanthropic endeavors.

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2025-06-18 18:20