The news that Sydney had yet another locally acquired case of COVID-19 was met with panic before the tone quickly shifted to one of bemusement, absurdity, and yes, countless BBQ punchlines. What had initially been a mystery regarding where the double mutant Indian B.1.6.1.7 strain had originated soon provoked a far more pertinent question (or rather, questions):
- Who was this man?
- Why in the fuck was he compelled to hit up multiple BBQ-related retail outlets on May 1st?
- And did our fair dinkum Goldilocks find what he was looking for?
According to the Australian Financial Review, the bloke in question just happens to be the Managing Director of Apollo Global Management, who wasn’t looking to cop a single BBQ with all the accessories… but actually undertaking some due diligence on behalf of the alternative investment firm to potentially acquire the entire Barbeques Galore business.
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With approximately $588 billion in assets, Apollo Global Management is – as described by the AFR – a major player in global deals which has been steadily increasing its Australian presence in recent years under the aforementioned Managing Director’s watch.
There is no indication our wheelin’ & dealin’ Sydney operator with an appetite for BBQ chains broke any COVID-19 safety protocols. The relevant authorities are currently racing to deduce the ‘missing link’ between himself and a US traveller he had ostensibly never encountered. While his wife has also reportedly tested positive, at the time of this publishing, no further cases have been recorded.
“We cannot publicly comment on the medical condition of individual employees,” says a spokesman for Apollo Global Management.
“However, we are currently assisting the NSW health authorities as they investigate a positive case. The employee has not travelled outside Australia this year.”
