Insiders spill on the secretive Northern Beaches set: Forget the flashy east, the REAL elites are spending serious cash on the insular peninsula... and they don't want you to know about it

Sydney's eastern suburbs have long been considered a playground for the Harbour City's high society.

But after we started covering all the gossip and scandals surrounding the 'Big Names in Bondi', we kept hearing the same criticism. 'What about the Northern Beaches? That's where the real money is!'

The picturesque coastal stretch of Sydney from Manly to Palm Beach is home to some of Australia's richest tycoons and a plethora of actors, TV stars and socialites. But it's not called the 'insular peninsula' for nothing.

This particular ultra-rich set likes to operate under a veil of secrecy. You won't hear about their mammoth property settlements for months. Business deals are done behind closed doors. Some live there for years before it makes the news.

All of which makes them even more intriguing. 

We spoke to our society spies to find out who's who on the Northern Beaches and surrounds. They are a diverse bunch but have two things in common: a love of money... and privacy.

Leading the pack are Jennifer Hawkins and Jake Wall who are building an extravagant waterfront home on the cliffside of Whale Beach.

The former Miss Universe and her property developer husband will be adding a gym, basketball court, swimming pool and bowling alley in the home, which will be approximately four times the size of its neighbouring properties.

Next comes Today host Karl Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine, who recently began work on their dream home on Sydney's north shore.

The high-profile couple are building a $4.5million luxury mansion in Castlecrag, just across Middle Harbour from much sought-after Seaforth.

Kate Waterhouse and her husband Luke Ricketson, who purchased an incredible $17.8million mansion in Balmoral in 2020, also made the list.

The racing heiress and the former rugby league footballer, who tied the knot in Sicily, Italy, in 2012, are known for their lavish lifestyle.

They are joined by actor Richard Roxburgh and his multi-talented wife Silvia Colloca, who, despite both being household names, live a quiet life on the Northern Beaches.

Multimillionaire restaurateur John Szangolies is also among the peninsula's elite.

The hospitality entrepreneur and his wife Heather dropped a cool $27million on a Palm Beach getaway back in 2021.

Another making the list is billionaire tech boss Mike Cannon-Brookes.

The Atlassian CEO owns a mansion in Newport he bought from Hawkins and Wall for $24.5million in 2020, and three years later his ex-wife Annie paid $14.25million for the neighbouring property.

The pair, who had an estimated $19billion fortune and a $300million property empire, also broke records when they bought the heritage-listed, 1.1-hectare Fairwater residence, in the harbourside suburb of Point Piper, for $100million in 2018.

Gretel Packer, the sister of gaming magnate James Packer, is also among the Northern Beaches elite.

The billionaire owns an incredible leisure home on Ocean Road at Palm Beach, on the surf side.

Antonia Kidman, the sister of Hollywood star Nicole, also makes the list. She lives in a luxury Northern Beaches home with her husband Craig Marran and her children.

Australia's richest garbo Ian Malouf is also a local. He offloaded an amazing beachfront property in ritzy Palm Beach for a whopping $25million in April last year.

He sold his waste management service Dial-a-Dump for $577million in 2018.

Mummy blogger Indy Clinton and her husband Ben Azar live in Palm Beach and are part of the younger contingent of the social scene.

Sunrise host Matt Shirvington and his wealthy wife Jessica, who live in Mosman, just across the Spit Bridge from the beaches, round up the northside elite.