The secret eastern suburbs tier list: High society snitch reveals the REAL hierarchy among Sydney's elites... and who's fallen from the A-list

The eastern suburbs may look like a playground for Sydney's young, hot and rich.

But in reality, the major players in the east are no different to teenagers competing to be the most popular girl in school. They may be older, some even a little wiser, but - according to our society insider - the same rules apply.

Behind the scenes at the Vaucluse mansion parties, Double Bay brunches and Mimi's long lunches, whispers abound about who's in and who's out of the elite harbourside cliques.

We spoke to a well-informed member of the 'in crowd' and regular DM snitch who shared with us a tongue-in-cheek 'tier list' that's been doing the rounds in group chats lately.

In it, socialites are divided into A, B and C lists. There are plenty of familiar names and some controversial placements - we'll leave it up to you to decide if they're fair.

First up, the A-list...

THE A-LIST

Leading the pack is Lou O'Neil (née Hay) who is the daughter of the late Donald Hay, the brush-manufacturing pioneer and founder of Hayco. 

In 2022, she married Jake O'Neil, a property developer and the second-eldest son of millionaire superyacht broker and Rose Bay marina owner Denis O'Neil and his wife Charlotte.

Lou, a beauty and fashion content creator, isn't the only wealthy outsider to marry into the super-rich O'Neil family.

Aussie Home Loans heiress Deborah Symond O'Neil, who tied the knot with eldest son Ned in 2018 in a lavish ceremony in the Whitsundays, also made the A-list.

Poppy Tzaneros (née O'Neil), the daughter of Denis and Charlotte, runs in the same circles. She is married to Anthony Tzaneros, a member of the founding family of the giant port logistics firm ACFS.

Joining the trio is 'Pilates queen' Bernadette Fahey, who married Buildcorp COO Jordan Sukkar in a star-studded ceremony in Sydney last November.

She is known for being the fitness instructor to some of Sydney's most high-powered socialites, including Jade Yarbrough and Madeleine Holtznagel (more on them later).

Montarna Pitt, the founder of successful Sydney PR firm The Audience Agency, also made the A-list, which is hardly surprising given how well-connected she is.

Stylist and brand consultant Caroline Tran and writer Kristina Macourt are also notable members of the Sydney 'It' crowd.

Also making the A-list is Nadia Fairfax, long considered one of Sydney's top socialites and fashion bloggers. She is married to Michael Wayne, the managing director of Medallion Financial and a regular contributor to Sky Business.

'It' girl Harriet Williams has also cemented her place in the elite social scene, despite speculation she has split from her husband Andy El-Bayeh.

Harriet, a kinesiologist at Inner Remedy, hails from a wealthy Sydney family, while Andy is the chief creative officer and founder of creative agency Example.

Hoda Waterhouse (née Vakili) and her sister Rey-Hanna Vakili are also part of the eastern suburbs' principal social scene.

Hoda, an architect, is married to bookmaker and horse racing royalty Tom Waterhouse, while Rey's husband is multimillionaire chicken heir Johnny Ingham.

Johnny's sister Tamie Ingham, the former business partner of Jasmine Stefanovic and wife of celebrity chef Guillaume Brahimi, also holds a lofty position at the top of the Emerald City's social ladder.

THE B-LIST 

While they aren't quite at the pinnacle of Sydney high society, those in the B-list are still ones to watch.

The biggest of the B-crowd - at least according to the list doing the rounds - is P.E Nation founder Pip Edwards. She's a self-made fashion millionaire, but her reputation as a tabloid headline magnet perhaps keeps her from reaching the lofty heights of the A-list.

Dina Broadhurst, variously known as the 'nude artist' and 'The Body of the East', also sits firmly in the middle of the pack (although, personally, we think she deserves to be in the A-list based on her figure alone).

PR guru Roxy Jacenko is known for representing many celebrity clients and you'd think she would find a place near the top, but we understand she dropped to the B-list after relocating to Singapore with her family in 2023.

Jackie 'O' Henderson is aggressively refurbishing her image from radio shock jock into a more brand-safe Goop-y influencer for Gen X women.

If net worth decided social status she'd be right up there, but her history of on-air scandals keeps her in the B-list. But we're sure, having signed a 10-year $200million deal in 2023, she'll be crying all the way to the bank.

Joining her on the B-list is Madeline Holtznagel, the 27-year-old girlfriend of Sydney hospitality mogul Justin Hemmes, 52. They are expecting their first child together.

Rounding out the middle tier is Ellie Aitken, who hit the headlines in late 2021 when her marriage to high-profile stockbroker Charlie Aitken blew up over his affair with her close friend Hollie Nasser.

THE C-LIST 

Now, there's nothing wrong with being a C-lister.

While those sharing this list may have had snarky intentions, the socialites in Class C are still more rich, famous and beautiful than any of us could hope to be - and at least they're not on lists D to Z, which we dare not publish.

The aforementioned Hollie Nasser found a place, buoyed to relevancy by her role in the eastern suburbs love triangle. Although she hasn't done much since. 

She's joined by Kristin Fisher, one of Sydney's most in-demand beauticians who runs an eponymous salon in Double Bay.

But while her talents as an 'eyebrow queen' are legendary, her reputation took a hit when a brush with the law in 2021 prompted a magistrate to scold eastern suburbs elites for their casual cocaine use.

Model Laura Csortan became a Sydney 'It' girl when she won a string of beauty pageants in the late '90s. But these days she keeps a lower profile.

Sisters Jade and Jasmine Yarbrough, from Queensland, round out the C-list. Jasmine is married to TV star Karl Stefanovic while (unfortunately) Jade's biggest claim to fame is being involved in the 'Noosa rumble' with her ex Michael Clarke.