Under-fire Tzaneros family break cover for Bernadette Sukkar’s ‘Y2K’ birthday bash featuring society A-list – as crisis talks swirl over displays of wealth after ACFS collapse

The Tzaneros shipping dynasty has kept a low profile since the collapse of family-owned ACFS Port Logistics, which owes more than $270million to over 60 creditors. 

But three prominent members of the family broke cover on Friday, with Anthony Tzaneros and his wife Poppy – from the influential O’Neil family behind property development firm Addenbrooke – stepping out for ‘Pilates queen’ Bernadette Sukkar’s birthday celebration at Archie Brothers Alexandria.

They were joined by Barbara Coombes (née Tzaneros), the sister of Anthony and the wife of real estate tycoon Michael Coombes.

A year ago, the society trio’s appearance at such a party would barely have raised an eyebrow. But with dark clouds hanging over the family’s container logistics empire and fresh scrutiny on the wealth of key family members, Anthony, Poppy and Barbara arrived under a far brighter spotlight.

ACFS Port Logistics, founded in 2005 by Tzaneros patriarch Terry and his son Arthur, Anthony’s brother, entered voluntary administration and receivership on August 6 with debts of around $60 million owed to the Australian Taxation Office.

Arthur later stepped down as CEO after private messages he posted in a WhatsApp group about the alleged Scots College gang rape were leaked to the media.

Since then, family members have locked down their social media accounts and retreated behind the gates of their multimillion-dollar mansions.

Behind the scenes, sources tell the Daily Mail the family has engaged crisis communications advisers to help manage its public image, including, it is understood, by drawing attention away from members’ ‘conspicuous wealth’ and lavish lifestyles. 

But Poppy, 40, and Anthony, 38, who is IT Director for ACFS Port Logistics, appear less committed to the family’s low-profile strategy, continuing to show their faces on Sydney’s social scene while other relatives remain out of view.

The couple arrived at the Y2K-themed bash celebrating ‘Bernie’ turning 36, with the birthday girl partying alongside husband Jordan Sukkar and friends.

Poppy and Anthony weren’t shy about flashing their wealth, despite other Tzaneros family members attempting to keep a lower profile while creditors circle the family’s crumbling shipping empire, with the socialite carrying a Mini Kelly Hermes handbag worth $29,100. 

She slipped into a Noughties-style Manuba Print shirt from Pucci, which retails for $1,350, and paired it with straight-legged blue jeans. 

Poppy accessorised by matching her Mini Kelly with green Amina Muaddi heels, which sell second-hand for around $600, and what appeared to be a Rolex watch. 

Meanwhile, Anthony appeared to disregard the dress code in a basic navy shirt and blue jeans, though he added a touch of designer flair with Gucci sneakers worth $1,520.

Sister Barbara also made a rare public appearance, stepping out in an oversized red shirt emblazoned with ‘Barbie 08’, paired with mini denim shorts and strappy heels.

She stood out from the crowd by styling her blonde tresses with large, voluminous rollers as she arrived on-scene with a Peter Alexander present and Christopher’s Cake Shop box for the birthday girl.

Elsewhere at the event, Bernadette donned a baby blue sweatsuit over a cropped white tank top, with a pair of blue-tinted Miu Miu sunglasses. 

The owner of Bondi’s popular Body by Berner Pilates studio appeared to go barefoot at one point as she posed for photos, holding a blue Louis Vuitton tote worth $5,694 and a $4,963 Louis Vuitton x Murakami handbag.

She later changed outfits, swapping out her sweatpants for a pair of Juicy Couture mini shorts and knee-high boots by The Attico. 

Other guests in attendance included Bernadette’s husband Jordan Sukkar, the COO of his family’s construction company Buildcorp; The Audience Agency PR maven Montarna McDonald; stylist-to-the-stars Caroline Tran; fashion designer Michael Lo Sordo; Hayco heiress Louise O’Neil, who is Poppy’s sister-in-law through her marriage to Jake O’Neil; and socialite Kristina Macourt.

Deborah Symond O’Neil, who is the daughter of Aussie Home Loans founder John Symond and the wife of Poppy’s other brother Ned O’Neil, also made an appearance at the gathering, after Poppy was recently spotted making a discreet arrival at her home amid the collapse of the Tzaneros shipping company.  

The daughter of Rose Bay Marina owner Denis O’Neil, Poppy was once known for her understated look before her wedding to Anthony.

Since marrying into the Tzaneros family, however, she has embraced a far more glamorous lifestyle and is now a fixture on the elite social circuit.

The couple’s wedding was anything but understated, with a lavish Met Gala-themed celebration.

Their property portfolio has expanded as well, with Poppy and Anthony spending $25million on a Bellevue Hill home.

But now the family’s lifestyle is overshadowed by a different kind of press coverage.

ACFS Port Logistics, founded by Tzaneros patriarch Terry and son Arthur in 2005, entered voluntary administration and receivership on August 6.

The company is believed to owe almost $60million to the ATO, with its assets now potentially facing a fire sale.

The financial crisis has unfolded alongside controversy surrounding Arthur, who resigned as CEO after messages he reportedly sent in a WhatsApp group about an alleged sexual assault involving three Scots College students came to light.

The texts, shared in an Old Boys’ chat of more than 100 Scots College alumni, attempted to downplay an ongoing rape investigation that has rocked the prestigious eastern suburbs school, where Year 12 fees are north of $50,000 a year.

Arthur is said to have messaged the group chat last month: ‘Before anyone jumps to conclusions, this is no Skaf case.’

His comment appeared to reference the case of brothers Mohammed and Bilal Skaf, a pair of serial rapists who attacked several Sydney women and girls in the year 2000.

Arthur suggested the alleged 14-year-old victim was a ‘willing participant’ and described the three accused as ‘deads***s’, the SMH reported.

His comments sparked widespread outrage, with Arthur later apologising and expressing hope that his resignation would separate the company from his actions.

For a family accustomed to Sydney’s society pages, recent weeks have been nothing short of a PR disaster, with most of the Tzaneros women appearing to keep a much lower profile as the fallout continues.

Sisters Barbara and Maree, the latter of whom is married to Andrews Meat heir Peter Andrews, have switched their Instagram accounts to private, and Maree hasn’t uploaded a post since July.

Similarly, sister-in-law Steffanie has also set her social accounts to private.

In contrast, Poppy has kept her social media public, though she hasn’t posted since June. However, she continues to act the social butterfly among high-society circles.

Meanwhile, Maude, the wife of embattled former freight boss Arthur, has quietly wiped her social media presence, deleting her accounts in the wake of her husband’s resignation. 

The Daily Mail recently revealed that the mother-of-two is barely leaving the house. 

According to one trusted source, important appointments such as hair and nail treatments are likely taking place at the couple’s sprawling mansion.

‘When you’re used to regular pampering – weekly blow-dries, fortnightly nail appointments – you don’t go cold turkey overnight,’ they said.

‘I imagine she’d have people coming to her so she doesn’t have to leave the compound.’

It’s not the worst place to be laying low, as the $61.5million Bellevue Hill trophy home boasts four grand bedrooms and a swimming pool, and sits on a whopping 1,338 square metres.

Her sudden disappearance from the social scene is notable, given she has long been a familiar face among the city’s ritzy set, throwing lavish parties and mixing with a Who’s Who of high society.