Times are tough for the captains of industry. Asset manager BlackRock says unemployment will hit 7 per cent by Christmas, while white-collar economic refugees from Perth can be seen pounding the pavement on Collins Street in search of a job.
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But the money makers will always find a way.
One happy little group was spotted living the high life at Shannon Bennett's Vue De Monde this week, and leading the celebrations was twenty-something businessman Panji Suharto – the grandson of Indonesia's President Suharto, who ruled the country with an iron fist for 31 years.
Panji, who is vice-president of Hyundai Indonesia, was in town for the World Geothermal Congress at Jeff's Shed, but departed early and headed for the Lui Bar on the 55th floor of the Rialto.
Suharto is also an adviser to listed Australian company Western Mining Network, which owns graphite deposits in Indonesia. The company was trading at just 4.5 cents a share a year ago, but has soared to 36.5 cents in recent months. That alone would be cause for celebration, especially as more than half the investors in the company hail from Melbourne.
But it seems Western Mining had a little bit more good news.
Word is the company received confirmation of a deal with a South Korean company to buy their graphite, which means Suharto and his and of Collins Street investors just may have hit it big.
Better, still, word is they have the backing of one of America's richest families. The Schwab family, America's 200th richest, with an estimated wealth of $US6.8 billion, already has a share in the company.
We hear a Silicon Valley family has taken a second large tranche of shares in Western Mining at 40 cents apiece.
Little wonder Panji and his cohorts were picking up the bill at Vue de Monde.
VICTORY IN TELMO'S WORLD
Non-partisanship of the speaker is one of the great conventions of the Westminster system. Thankfully, the partisanship of Victoria's speaker, Telmo Languiller, only extends as far as his soccer club.
Telmo is a passionate Melbourne Victory supporter. So passionate that, a couple of months back, he dragged state Treasurer Tim Pallas and sports minister John Eren along to join him at a Victory in Business lunch at Crown. The trio even took time to pose for a selfie with club captain Mark Milligan and head coach Kevin Muscat.
If you believe the word around town, Victory not only has big ambitions, and the cashed-up club doesn't like to share. They feel there are too many other teams running around Gosch's Paddock and AAMI Park.
What Victory would dearly love is a place of its own.
Some of the club's power hitters have looked enviously at AFL clubs and all the government money that seems to go their way for new facilities. A slice of that pie would do Victory rather nicely.
The issue, of course, is that Melbourne Victory is a private company, while AFL clubs are not-for-profit organisations.
At least there will be plenty to talk about when Premier Daniel Andrews and Melbourne Victory directors meet for a planned dinner at Silks at Crown on Wednesday night, at a function organised by Telmo.
We hear those Victory directors are paying $5000 a head – just below the political disclosure threshold – to dine with the premier at Melbourne's best Chinese restaurant.
If it's not a political donation, then it's a lot of duck pancakes to get through.
FISHING FOR RICHES AROUND THE BEND
Fishermans Bend is, the words of the state government, "the largest urban renewal project in Australia".
The 455-hectare site will be transformed into a whole new suburb when the car manufacturers move out in 2017, but good luck to any business hoping to register its own domain name.
A Melbourne company called Fishermans Bend Corporation has registered more than 70 "suburb specific websites" for Fishermans Bend, ranging from medical suites to fish and chip shops, and is hoping to cyber squat its way to riches.
THE HECKLE
Is there a bit of acrimony emerging within the rival Melbourne outposts of the Young Presidents Organisation?
The breakaway YPO Yarra chapter of the "world's most powerful network" for rising captains of industry has arranged for Australia Post boss Ahmed Fahour to give a keynote speech at the Islamic Museum of Australia next Saturday, a world-class venue up in Thornbury that Fahour helped to fund and build.
It's sad to hear that a number of members of the YPO Melbourne chapter, a little green-eyed with jealousy, have decided to boycott the event, and it might not even go ahead.
