Billionaires lead fascinating lives. What sets them apart and into the upper echelons of society is their power and influence, giving them an all-access pass to the world. A billionaire’s schedule is packed with meetings and events, sometimes for business and sometimes for a good cause. It is a life with an added air of charm that comes with well-connected friends and colleagues.

Shaun Bonett, an Australian success story, is living the life of a self-made billionaire by keeping up with quite an impressive schedule from dinners with Prime Ministers to The Prince’s Annual Ball at the Buckingham Palace. A former highflying lawyer, Shaun founded his company, the Precision Group, an investment and redevelopment property business focused on finding distressed assets that could be turned around during the Australian recession in the 1990s. Shaun states, “while working as a corporate lawyer during this time, I realized I wished to help build things rather than tear them down.”

And he did truly build. Through the success of his company and determination, Shaun saw the opportunity in partnerships and pursued a deal with one of the leading global financiers, the Bank of China, increasing his connections and broadening his circle. In six months, Precision Group became the bank’s first local customer in Australia, securing refinancing of $500 million in transactions, the largest private property refinancing in 2011. “Building relationships with the Bank of China has been instrumental of Precision Group’s success,” Shaun explains.

One look at his insider life and it’s evident that building relationships is a core value to him personally as well. In the past decade, the businessman has made submissions to the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) to enable other Australian businesses to access loans from International banks including the Bank of China, without having to first obtain FIRB approval.

Thanks to his corporate success built on strong relationships, Shaun’s network of friends and associates is tight and valued. He believes that relationships should be built on trust, bringing meaning and depth to professional ties. It’s not all fancy dinners and coveted invitations; it’s about bringing transparency and value to his relationships, especially when it comes to serving the community. A director to the Prince’s Trust which facilitates the charitable endeavors of his Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Shaun is privy to events that most people only dream about. What has gained him traction on the world’s stage is his commitment to making the world a better place. A glimpse of his Instagram shows him in the presence of such honorable dignitaries such as Prince Charles while carrying out his charitable work.

Awarded a knighthood from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta on 14 April 2010, Shaun also serves as Director of the Chinese Language and Culture Education Foundation of Australia, a member of the President’s Council of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and Deputy Chairman of Life Education Australia, the country’s largest private provider of drug and health education. Well-connected through his work and charitable endeavors on social media, Shaun is setting the bar and putting a new spin on Australian corporate glam.