Australian Federal Police’s human exploitation taskforce is now examining fresh allegations linked to a high-profile technology billionaire and his business network. A former senior executive from one of his controlled companies, Kyckr, has come forward after stepping down from her role last year.
Her claims centre on the treatment and visa arrangements of a Brazilian national connected to his family office. The investigation adds a new layer of scrutiny to an already controversial saga.
Kyckr’s former boss alleges the billionaire misrepresented the employment conditions of Brazilian worker Caroline Heidemann on an Australian employment visa. After Ms Heidemann’s position at logistics software group WiseTech was made redundant in May 2020, she moved into a role at the billionaire’s family office, RealWise.
She had previously launched legal action against him over allegations she was pressured into a sexual relationship, before reaching a settlement last year. Those prior claims had already cast a shadow over the corporate empire tied to WiseTech and its related entities.
The renewed allegations have rattled investors, triggering a sharp sell-off in WiseTech shares on the Australian market. The stock dropped 18.4% to $30.08, its lowest level in five years, as traders reacted to the unfolding police probe.
Market watchers link the fall directly to concerns about governance, legal risk and reputational damage across the billionaire’s business interests. RealWise and Kyckr now sit alongside WiseTech in the spotlight as authorities review the claims.
The latest AFP investigation deepens scrutiny of power imbalances, workplace conduct and the handling of migrant workers inside influential private offices. Corporate governance specialists say the episode shows how personal behaviour at the top can rapidly translate into market risk for listed companies.
For investors, the plunge in WiseTech’s valuation signals rising sensitivity to human exploitation claims, even when centred on a family office. The outcome now hinges on what federal investigators uncover and how that may feed back into regulatory and shareholder responses.
