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In an exclusive interview with news.com.au - his first since controversial social media posts following this year’s dismal Block finale - the former serial buyer has declared the hit Nine show “completely out of touch and unrealistic” for everyday Australians. Portelli also revealed why he has turned his back on the Block and the incident that led to a falling out with Nine. The LMCT Plus mogul didn’t hold back when asked about the recent Block finale disaster that saw two houses passed in at auction. “They’re completely out of touch and unrealistic,” Portelli said. “The Block pitches themselves as a good opportunity for families to buy these famous homes, but these houses aren’t built for everyday Australians. They are meant for the super-rich. “Who is going to go and bid on them when they know they’re competing against billionaires? These houses aren’t targeted at everyday Aussies. They’re multimillion-dollar homes.” The entrepreneur turned social media personality has been locked in a public stoush with The Block since declaring last year’s Phillip Island finale would be his swansong as a buyer. Without Portelli’s deep pockets propping up the auctions, this season’s contestants struggled, with winners Britt and Taz making just $520,000. Portelli revealed the real reason he turned his back on The Block was that they knocked back a pitch for “My Reno Rules”, which has since been picked up by Channel 7. “It was initially going to be with Channel 9, but they lost interest,” Portelli said. “So I said, ‘All right, if you don’t see the potential in it, I’ll take it somewhere else’. I went to Channel 7, pitched it within five minutes, and told them, ‘If you want it, great; if not, see you later. ’ And sure enough, twenty minutes later they rang me up and said, ‘let’s do it.’ That’s the story behind that.” But it’s his recent social media attacks on The Block that have captured headlines, with Portelli posting cricket emojis and crossing out The Block’s logo in favour of his new Seven show “My Reno Rules” following this year’s auction disaster. The businessman, who has struggled to sell his Phillip Island Block properties purchased for $15.03 million, believes his new Seven venture will win in the battle against The Block. “Why will it be more successful?,” Portelli asked. “Because everyone watching at home has a chance to win these homes. Every day Aussies can follow the journey of these homes being completely renovated. And essentially, it could be their home being renovated right before their eyes. “The Block appeals to less than 1 per cent of its viewing audience. Meanwhile, ‘My Reno Rules’ gives everyone a chance to win.” Portelli said his association with the Block began when he paid $4.25m for a Gisborne house because of a taunt. “If anyone remembers, I was labelled the dummy bidder,” Portelli said. “I was heckledwhen I first rocked up, and asked if I had enough money to buy the houses, so I just wanted to put them to shame, really. “I just wanted to shut everyone up and show ‘em who the big boss is.” Portelli faces legal challenges in South Australia over 13 fraud charges related to allegations of running an unlawful lottery. “I reckon they were getting heaps of complaints and people doing the wrong thing, so the easiest option for them was to shut down that business model completely,” Portelli said. “And to claim it’s not a genuine business model is ridiculous because if I wasn’t running a legit business, why would I be paying my taxes? “I’ve spent millions of dollars marketing in South Australia. We’ve got tens of thousands of customers in that state. When a customer signs up, they don’t have to enter their address. So I don’t know where my customers are from. They (South Australian Authorities) wanted me to go and take the prize off them (South Australian-based winners). And I said, ‘You can go get f--ked.’ I said, I’m not doing that. So that’s what that fines are about.” Despite the controversy, Portelli LMCT Plus business continues to thrive. “The business, we didn’t set it up to give things away,” Portelli said. “I just used it as a publicity stunt. Yep. And yeah, we managed to pull that off, and now it’s become a regular part of promoting the business. We have made 33 Australians millionaires now. And we’ve given back about $120 or $130 million to Australians. We’ve also generated millions of dollars for Aussie retailers.” The 35-year-old entrepreneur, who made last year’s Block contestants the richest in the show’s history with a combined $15 million spent across all five Phillip Island properties, also spoke about his rags-to-riches journey from humble beginnings as an Uber driver in Los Angeles to becoming Australia’s most recognisable property mogul. “I was actually an Uber driver, believe it or not,” Portelli said. “That was before I started the chauffeur business. I ended up with a fleet of cars and some drivers over there. We used to service a lot of Hollywood celebrities, Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, and we also had Josh Duhamel... Seth Rogen, and a whole bunch of other people.” Born and raised in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Portelli began his business career selling Photoshop prints when he was 18. “Every weekend, my mates would be out partying, and I’d be driving up to Red Hill at four in the morning in my Ute, loading it up, setting up my little tent, and that’s what I’d be doing on my weekends,” Portelli said. Portelli’s US-based chauffeur service was his first hit. “That was my first taste of success,” Portelli said. “That’s when I started making decent money. I had a fleet of cars and kept them on the road 24 hours a day. I began that when I was 23 or 24.” His tech ventures followed, developing apps across Costa Rica and India, before returning to Australia in 2016 to create what would become his lottery empire, LMCT Plus.
