Who are Tim Gurner’s parents? The real estate developer’s upbringing
Tim Gurner, a multi-millionaire real estate mogul from Australia, seems quite fond of making controversial statements. His latest remark, that workers have grown lazy and need a painful reminder that they are indebted to employers, drew near-universal criticism. “We need to see pain in the economy,” Tim said. “We need to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around.”
Tim Gurner’s parents, Colin Gurner and Sandie de Wolf, inspired him to pursue real estate
Tim Gurner was raised by Colin Gurner and Sandie de Wolf in Kangaroo Ground, a bushy suburb in Victoria, Australia. He said that his parents inspired him to pursue real estate. Tim writes on the Gurner Group website:
“His first real taste for property design began while he watched his late father Colin Gurner, a structural and civil engineer, and mum Sandie de Wolf, the former chief executive of the child welfare charity Berry Street, renovate the family home and landscape the gardens.”
Colin died in 2016 due to cancer. His passing coincided with the launch of Tim’s first business, a gym. Tim talked to Domain about the impact of Colin’s death: “That [his father’s death] gave me a push too. I thought, ‘if I am going to work long hours, it has to be on something that I love’.”
Tim’s critics have hit back at him, claiming that his ‘self-made’ narrative is a sham. Without a $34,000 loan from his grandfather, Tim wouldn’t have acquired the bank loan he needed to start his business. Tim downplays the importance of his grandfather’s contribution, stating that his success stems from hard grind. He told news.com.au:
“I spent every night on my hands and knees sanding back the floors, painting, renovating and working on the house. When we sold it, I used the small profits of $12,000 to purchase my next property and it all grew from there. I sacrificed a huge amount through those years, working multiple jobs, seven days a week and I saved absolutely every penny that I could.”
