Surprising reason The Block billionaire Adrian Portelli gifted $50,000 to Channel Nine star Alex Cullen
- READ MORE: Adrian Portelli DENIES bombshell accusations
Adrian Portelli has reportedly gifted Channel Nine presenter Alex Cullen $50,000 for being the first person to use his nickname 'McLaren Man' live on air.
The billionaire last week asked Australian media to refer to him as 'McLaren Man' in a shock departure from his long-held nickname 'Mr Lambo' which stuck after he arrived at an auction for The Block in a Lamborghini.
Cullen seemed all too eager to oblige, dropping the name during a Today Show cross from the Australian Open on Friday morning.
Portelli took to social media saying 'We have a winner! Well played sir,' and sharing what appeared to be a bank transfer of $50,000 to Cullen.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.
It comes after Portelli this week denied charges of conducting an unlawful lottery.
The 35-year-old is charged with nine counts of conducting or assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery in South Australia, while his business Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd, which trades under the name LMCT+, is charged with 10 counts of the same offence.
He was not required to appear In Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, where lawyer Ben Lodge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Portelli and Xclusive Tech.
Portelli took to social media saying 'We have a winner! Well played sir,' and sharing what appeared to be a bank transfer of $50,000 to Cullen (pictured)
Portelli asked media last week to call him 'McLaren Man,' rather than his usual nickname of 'Mr Lambo,' garnered after an appearance on The Block
The charges, instigated by South Australia's Consumer and Business Services, allege Portelli's business did not hold a licence to conduct the lotteries in SA.
Portelli's company offers members subscriptions to a 'rewards club', which includes entries to win cars and properties.
Under SA law, any trade promotion lotteries with prizes exceeding $5,000 need a licence to operate and entries must be free of charge.
'The major prize for the lottery was a property situated in Gisborne in the state of Victoria, as seen on the Australian television show The Block, or a cash prize of $3,000,000,' court documents state.
Winning the prize 'involved an element of chance' but the defendant 'did not hold a licence to conduct the lottery in South Australia'.
Portelli and his company face a potential maximum penalty of $190,000. He has said on social media that if he were convicted, he would 'round it up to $200,000'.
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