Stockbroker's executive assistant shames wealthy 'friends' who refused to donate to charity... Plus, the hush-hush sale of members-only skin clinic Fayshell hidden behind an NDA: THE GROUP CHAT

Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia's most trusted society insider shares the hottest gossip before it makes the news

Facial value

Sydney nepo baby Katelin Gregg, co-founder of the buzzy, members-only skin clinic Fayshell in Bondi Junction and Neutral Bay, has discreetly put her business up for sale.

Listed on a commercial real estate site, Fayshell is seeking $1.65million - a tidy sum for a clinic boasting $700,000 in designer fit-outs, ambitious plans for a third location and a move into cosmetic injectables.

All that's missing, it seems, is a new backer to fund the next phase of Gregg's self-styled empire.

The agent handling the sale confirmed the business was on the market, before hastily asking me to sign an NDA. Too late!

Gregg launched the clinic in 2022 with then-best friend Ella James, but tensions soon surfaced. James quietly faded from media and brand partnerships, leaving Gregg front and centre - just the way she likes it.

Insiders say Gregg, who is the daughter of Mondeal Aesthetics founder Rob Gregg, always saw herself as the CEO, while James was the creative brain behind the brand.

Despite whisking her staff away on a recent work retreat, Fayshell is being advertised as 'semi-managed' - meaning a new owner can, ostensibly, sit back and let someone else do the heavy lifting.

The sale follows months of overseas travel for Gregg, who called off her engagement to Ray White Commercial chief executive James Linacre at the beginning of the year.

While she has been chasing the European summer, drama has continued to bubble away back home.

A woman named Lolita Miakinkova took Fayshell to NCAT last week in a case whose details remain a mystery. Perhaps it's a story for next week's column? Don't be shy, Lolita...

Eastern suburbs 'sign guy' unmasked

As the saying goes, 'money talks, wealth whispers' - which is why I was somewhat baffled by the very loud display put on by self-styled investment guru Michael Kodari in Double Bay.

The 50-something owner of Kodari Securities, otherwise known as KOSEC, runs a lucrative operation, but it's his cringeworthy antics that truly catch the eye.

Kodari has been spotted making the rounds at local nightclubs, splashing out on VIP booths, flanked by a small army of hired bodyguards. Subtlety is not his forte.

He's even orchestrated bottle girls - and boys - to emerge with signs screaming such humble declarations as 'billionaire in the club' and 'the king is back'.

A billionaire? I've checked every Rich List, and unless Kodari's fortune is exceptionally well concealed, he's yet to make an appearance. Perhaps he's from the Tim Gurner school of billionaires?

Kodari's business targets older Australians, with KOSEC touting strategies for self-managed super funds and promising 'wealth cultivation and capital preservation'. But the empire doesn't stop there.

He hawks Kodari-branded luxury goods, including silk scarves and cufflinks, and has launched an 'exclusive organisation' offering elite monthly gatherings at prestigious venues for 'visionary minds' to network and, apparently, 'redefine success'.

Keep your eyes peeled in Double Bay. I'm told Kodari and his bodyguards are often seen cruising the streets in a McLaren.

EA culls 'friends' over donations

A high-end matchmaker has lashed out at her Instagram followers for failing to cough up charitable donations despite, she says, happily splashing thousands on fancy meals.

Tatiana Malova, who is an executive assistant at independently owned stockbroking and capital markets firm GBA Capital when she isn't playing Cupid for the top end of town, has been spruiking donations ahead of a charity trading day sponsored by the Australian Fund Manager Foundation and Australian Stockbrokers Foundation.

But the response from some friends and followers has left her disillusioned.

In a series of bizarre Instagram rants, Malova wrote: 'Another interesting response from people I consider friends and have known for many years is that they're already supporting other charities.

'It looks like my friends list, along with my kindness, needs to be cut down.'

She then appeared to take aim at people who had previously enjoyed her hospitality.

'And this is after these people stayed at our house, came on our boat and were treated to meals,' she sniped.

But it was her final swipe that really raised eyebrows.

'The funniest thing about my fundraising initiative is hearing from people who spend between $500 and $10,000 on meals that they can't donate anything.'

I contacted Malova and GBA Capital seeking clarification on whether she was acting as an employee or private individual, whether she had approval to solicit donations via her personal Instagram account, and whether the company supported the tone of her posts.

Malova was quick to steer the conversation back to the cause, explaining that all brokerage generated by institutional and private clients on the day would be donated to two charities.

'The Australian Stockbrokers Foundation has raised more than $9million since its inception for around 10 to 12 partner charities, focusing on disadvantaged children and community welfare,' she said.

She also noted that the Australian Fund Manager Foundation's principal charity partners include Odyssey House NSW, which provides drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation.

But when it came to the more awkward questions surrounding her Instagram tirades, she drew a clear distinction between her fundraising efforts and her day job.

'My Instagram is for personal use and unrelated to my role at GBA Capital,' she said.

GBA Capital similarly sidestepped questions about whether its executive assistant had been authorised to solicit donations on its behalf, or whether anyone at the company had raised an eyebrow at her rather colourful approach to fundraising.

Instead, a spokesperson focused on the charitable mission, confirming the second annual Charity Trading Day will be held on September 9.

'We would ask that any coverage remain focused on the beneficiaries of this event, which exists solely to raise funds for the charitable causes supported by these two not-for-profit organisations,' the spokesperson said.

A noble cause, even if some were publicly shamed for failing to donate.

Mansion raid couple sell up 

Garrett and Stephanie Jandegian - yes, that new-money Sydney couple whose Bellevue Hill mansion was raided last year - are hoping to cash in on their second trophy home in the blue-chip suburb.

The pair are seeking a very healthy return on their Beresford Road property, putting the lavishly renovated estate on the market with a $37million price guide.

If they get anywhere near their asking price, the Jandegians would more than double their money in just three years, having forked out $15.1million for the property in 2023.

And it seems no expense has been spared in spruiking the place, with the sprawling residence scoring the coveted cover of Real Estate magazine.

The four-storey, five-bedroom home has been transformed, complete with a swimming pool and spa, sauna, ice bath and wellness studio with harbour views.

Back in 2019, before they bought the property, Stephanie was Sydney bureau chief of Nine's A Current Affair and had previously appeared as a dancer on Network Ten's 2008 reality show So You Think You Can Dance. Meanwhile, Garrett was making a name for himself as the co-founder of an alkaline water business.

But when the pandemic hit, their rapid antigen test and PPE supplier business, Pharma Soul, was suddenly more in demand than they ever could have anticipated.

The Jandegians have kept a relatively low profile since their other Bellevue Hill mansion was raided by Organised Crime Squad detectives in a dawn operation in February last year. News of the raid didn't hit the headlines until April.

The raid formed part of a multi-agency investigation into alleged money laundering and unexplained wealth by other parties. Police seized a mobile phone and documents from the property, but neither Garrett nor Stephanie was arrested or charged in connection with the operation. They are not accused of any wrongdoing.

The raid sent the rumour mill into overdrive, with the couple's seemingly extraordinary wealth prompting plenty of speculation, and no shortage of people eager to offer their two cents on just where it all came from.

Eventually, it emerged that cops were seeking evidence in their case against someone else entirely, businessman Marios Alexandridis, who was later charged with the commercial supply of cocaine.

Alexandridis will appear in the District Court for a fitness hearing on October 15.

When contacted for comment last month about her home being raided, Alexandridis' arrest and any possible connection between the two, Stephanie told the Mail: 'It probably makes more sense to you.

'And you probably realise that this has absolutely nothing to do with us since you've been following it. That's the only comment I can make... Thank you very much for the call though. If you'd like to send me an email, you're more than welcome to.'

We took her up on the offer and sent an email, but it bounced back. When we texted her to clarify the spelling of the address, we received no response.

Top of the corporate ladder

Former gigolo Michael Burn, the fiancé of wealthy businesswoman Alexandra Jakob, has added another title to his bulging résumé.

Burn has left behind his days as a 'man of the night' and is now making his own move into the corporate world as chief executive and co-founder of Jingle, a fintech platform that aims to redefine access to fast, responsible credit in Australia.

Readers may recall some of the colourful coverage surrounding Burn's messy AVO dispute with former long-term partner Jeff Williams, with whom he also ran the high-end escort agency Jake Ryan.

These days, however, Burn has swapped dinner dates with finance guys to becoming one himself. Meanwhile, his personal life has undergone an equally dramatic transformation.

Burn began a whirlwind romance with Ms Jakob in September 2023. He now famously boasts the BondiBoost mogul's name tattooed across his chest.

In September 2024, the couple became engaged and are planning to tie the knot later this year at the spectacular 17th-century Grantley Hall in England's Yorkshire Dales.

Fashionably late to sale

Rebecca Vallance and her financier husband David Gasan are still searching for a buyer for their sprawling Vaucluse mansion, six months after it first hit the market.

The lavish estate, tucked away in one of Sydney's most exclusive harbourside enclaves, was listed in February with a hefty $35million price guide.

But buyers with pockets that deep appear hard to find, with the couple now reportedly lowering their expectations to around $28million.

The European-inspired residence boasts sweeping harbour views, six bedrooms, nine bathrooms and a multi-level floor plan designed for grand-scale entertaining.

And it's not every day a home comes equipped with not one, not two, but three kitchens.

Vallance and Gasan bought the property in 2018 for $4.45million, when it was a far more modest two-storey residence.

Since then, they have transformed it into the showstopper it is today.

The home is being marketed by Paul Biller and Ben Torban of Biller Property in Double Bay.

While it is yet to attract a buyer, the same can't be said for Vallance's fashion empire.

The designer launched her eponymous label in 2011, debuting in Paris before building a global reputation for structured tailoring, refined silhouettes and timeless glamour.

Today, her creations are stocked by leading department stores, worn by A-list celebrities and have even found their way into royal wardrobes.

For now, the only thing missing from the power couple's portfolio appears to be a buyer willing to meet the asking price.