The Block is returning to screens very soon but without one key auction player – billionaire bidder Adrian Portelli.

Speaking on Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie, Scott Cam confirmed that the 35-year-old online promotions guru will most likely not be returning to the show.

In the three Block auctions he’s attended since 2022, Adrian has spent a whopping $31,680,000.

So what exactly will his absence at the 2025 Auction Day mean?
Adrian Portelli made a name for himself at the 2022 auction. (Nine)
Scotty thinks simply it will pave the way for regular families and couples to have a fair chance.

“To be honest, we said to Adrian ‘We’d love you not to come back next year if that’s alright. You know it’s up to you, it’s a public auction you can do whatever you want’,” Scotty told radio hosts Ryan Fitzgerald and Michael Wipfli.

“And he said yeah OK he won’t come. Maybe he will come, we don’t know.

“We do want to give mums and dads the opportunity to have a crack at the Block houses and if Adrian comes and wants to buy the lot of them, well that rules them out.”

Scotty continued: “We just said, ‘Mate, thank you you’ve been incredible patron of our show, would you mind having a rest?

“Hopefully we ge a few buyer advocates that come and represent families. So hopefully they turn up and have a bit of a crack this year.”
Scotty hoped Adrian Portelli’s absence made way for regular mums and dads to buy at The Block. (Nova)
After making a clean sweep and purchasing every single Phillip Island house at The Block 2024 Auction, Adrian revealed he would not be coming back again.

“That was my last appearance on The Block and I thought I’d go out with a bang,” he smiled.

“Thanks for having me, it’s been fun.”

Adrian Portelli’s history on The Block

Adrian first turned heads at the 2022 auction when he arrived at Omar and Oz’s 2022 auction in a yellow Lamborghini, earning himself the nickname “Mr Lambo”.

He started off his first-ever Block bid with $4.5 million on House 5, which was already way over the reserve price. He drove the price up several times but was no match to Block royalty Danny Wallis, who won the bidding war.

The entrepreneur later addressed claims he wasn’t a ‘genuine’ buyer after speculation started to swirl online he was only there to push up the price.
Adrian Portelli is a car enthusiast and online promotions guru from Melbourne. (Instagram)
“For everyone questioning the legitimacy of the auction, I was a genuine buyer with every intention to purchase that property,” he wrote in an Instagram story afterwards.

Adrian made even more waves at the 2023 auction when he bought not one, not two but three houses at the Charming Street auctions, leaving everyone completely gobsmacked.

He spent a total of $12,400,000 and left the whole of Australia wondering ‘what. just. happened?’

In 2024, Adrian spent a monumental $15.03 million after snapping up all five homes.

What does Adrian Portelli do for a living?

Adrian founded auto enthusiast club LMCT+, which is a promotions and giveaway platform with a focus on luxury vehicles and prestige houses.
Adrian is the founder of LMCT+, Australia’s largest and fastest-growing car community. (Instagram)
The company is also Australia’s largest and fastest-growing car community.

Adrian started the business in 2018 with the vision of “giving everyday Australian’s a chance to save thousands from our network and help change some lives along the way”, as Adrian says.

Adrian is also behind charity The Little Legends Foundation, which aims to help brighten the lives of Australian children suffering from chronic illnesses and a range of different disabilities.