Billionaire climate change warrior Mike Cannon-Brookes admits he is ‘conflicted’ by splashing out on a new private jet but insists he has only done it so he can be ‘a constantly present dad’.
Mr Cannon-Brookers, who is co-founder of Australian software company Atlassian, has opened up about his challenging decision to purchase a multimillion-dollar Bombardier 7500 jet following a messy split from his US-based ex-wife Annie.
‘I’m not denying I have a deep internal conflict on this,’ the tech entrepreneur told his followers on social media.
‘Personal security is the primary reason (an unfortunate reality of my world), but also so I can run a global business from Australia, and still be a constantly present dad.
‘So, this is a hard, continual trade-off I’ve decided to make.’
The Australian Financial Review reported on Thursday that Mr Cannon-Brookes had purchased the Bombardier jet, which is worth up to $116million.
The website Air Charter Service says it is ‘one of the world’s largest and longest-range business jets’, equipped with four living areas, a full kitchen and a dedicated crew zone.
Not only is Mr Cannon-Brookes juggling his Australian software company Atlassian and partnering with the floundering British Formula One team Williams, but he is still in the midst of a fraught divorce.
Michael Cannon-Brookes (pictured) has a fortune of around $24.38billion, according to the latest Financial Review Rich List
Michael Cannon-Brookes married Annie (both pictured) in 2010
The tech mogul, who has amassed a staggering fortune of about $24.38billion according to the latest Financial Review Rich List, split from Annie, his wife of 13 years, in 2023.
The news of the separation raised questions about how the pair would carve up their fortune, in addition to a $300million property empire.
This included the 1.1 hectare Fairwater estate, the home of the late Lady Mary Fairfax, which they acquired in 2018 for $100million.
Just before the pair split, in June 2023, they also forked out $14.25million to buy a home in Newport, on Sydney’s northern beaches, neighbouring the $24.5million estate they purchased in 2020.
But court proceedings for the settlement have been significantly heated.
The Australian Financial Review newspaper reported in February that Mr Cannon-Brookes had accused a former company secretary of secretly emailing confidential information about his private companies to his ex-wife.
The estranged couple have not spoken publicly about their divorce and it is not known how they have divided their property empire.
Mr Cannon-Brookes has long been an avid climate warrior and has been backing Australia’s biggest solar farm Sun Cable.
Michael Cannon-Brookes said he was trying to be more ‘open’ on social media
In 2021, he and his then-wife announced they were donating $1.5billion, including $1 billion in financial investments towards cutting carbon emissions.
They also said they were donating $500million in philanthropic endeavours, all aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5C .
It might be seen as controversial then that this philanthropic tech billionaire would choose to not only sponsor a Formula One team but buy himself a huge private jet.
Mr Cannon-Brookes addressed both issues in his Thursday LinkedIn post, in honour of ‘trying to share more openly’.
‘I can appreciate the double-take on Atlassian’s F1 sponsorship because…cars = fuel,’ he said.
‘I’ve had conversations with the FIA, and am impressed with their plans to get to net zero.
‘F1 can set a global example for sustainability in sports – and I believe it will.’
He acknowledge that private air travel is also ‘carbon-intensive’ and ‘one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise’.
A Bombardier Global 7500 private jet is worth up to US$73million ( AU$116million) (stock image)
But Mr Cannon-Brookes said that, while his ‘extremely rigorous carbon regime’ may not be practical on commercial flights, it is viable on private ones.
‘This means my flights actually have a net negative carbon footprint.’
Mr Cannon-Brookes leaves his followers with the promise he is as committed to the climate as ever.
‘I’m still pretty damn focused on making an impact at a large scale, removing huge volumes of emissions through active investments and philanthropy…and have the proud, scars to prove it.’
