Billionaire Richard White steps down as CEO of WiseTech over sex scandal

This week, Mr White settled a legal battle with Linda Rogan, a beauty entrepreneur who came close to appearing on reality show The Real Housewives of Sydney.

Ms Rogan had claimed Mr White bought her an A$13 million Sydney mansion but refused to allow her to move into it after his long-term girlfriend discovered the relationship, leaving her with big bills to furnish the house.

She claimed the relationship began after Mr White invited her to New York after offering to support her business, booking a hotel room for the two of them without her knowledge. The two confidentially settled the case earlier this week.

Australian media reported this week that, in separate cases, Mr White had paid millions of dollars in late 2020 to a former partner and given a $7 million home to a former employee after an affair with she A former WiseTech director also accused Mr White of “sustained bullying and harassment” when he resigned in 2019.

Meanwhile, Zena Nasser, Mr White’s wife, with whom he had a child in July, applied for and later withdrew an “arrested violence order” – a restraining order for victims or people of concern about violence domestic – in 2021.

WiseTech’s board responded to the allegations earlier this week to say it was “actively seeking further information and receiving external advice”.

On Thursday, it said Mr White would step down as chief executive immediately and take on a “full-time, long-term consultant role” with the title of “founder and founding CEO” with the same salary of A$1 million that were previously paid to him.

Mr White said: “This has been a difficult time for me personally, my family and close friends, and for the company I have built and which I truly love. I want to assure all those who have supported WiseTech, as customers, colleagues and shareholders, that I remain absolutely committed to seeing this incredible organization continue to thrive and grow in the years to come.”

He added that the board had been discussing succession planning for some time.

Richard Dammery, president of the company, praised Mr. White as “a true giant of the Australian technology industry (who) has built one of our most remarkable corporate success stories”.

WiseTech has appointed law firms Herbert Smith Freehills and Seyfarth Shaw to look into the recent allegations about Mr. White. He has appointed the company’s chief financial officer as interim chief executive.

Mr. White, a former guitar technician who worked with Angus and AC/DC’s Malcolm Young, founded WiseTech in 1994 and has grown it into Australia’s largest technology company. The company specializes in software for logistics companies.