The identity of a mystery bidder attempting to take over Courtney and Grant’s home during Sunday night’s finale of The Block has been revealed amid speculation over who will replace Adrian Portelli on the show.
Billionaire bidder Adrian shocked viewers on Sunday night when he snapped up all five properties during The Block finale, spending a total of $15.03 million.
After the historic feat, he confirmed that he will not be returning to The Block next year.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Melbourne-based gym owner Nikolaos Solomos, who was once almost shot dead by a balaclava-clad man, was the man who bid alongside Portelli on Sunday night during the Courtney and Grant auction.
Host Scott Cam was seen asking the duo if they knew who the mysterious ‘diamond guy’ was, referring to him dripping with silver chain jewelery at the auction.
‘Who’s the guy with all the diamonds and all the jewels? “The diamond guy,” he asked.
Courtney and Grant confessed that they didn’t know who he was, but said he was still “welcome” to buy the house, before Portelli eventually bought it for $3.3 million.
Solomos was seen standing directly next to Portelli during the intense bidding war, sparking speculation that he will replace the bidder amid his exit.
The identity of The Block’s mystery bidder (left) has been revealed amid speculation he will replace Adrian Portelli (right) on the show.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal he is Melbourne-based gym owner Nikolaos Solomos (pictured), who was once almost shot dead by a balaclava-clad man.
Solomos, 41, is the founder of family business Derrimut 24:7 Gyms, which has an extensive list of branches across Victoria and South Australia.
The ambitious businessman wants to have 300 gyms operating in Australia and internationally by 2030, and currently has 27 gyms in Australia alone.
However, his vast gym empire is possibly best known for working with Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who flew to Australia to help promote the business.
Schwarzenegger visited the Ravenhall branch of the gym in 2013 to address 1,400 bodybuilding fans at a gathering as part of a speaking tour.
In addition to founding a successful gym empire, Solomos also made headlines in June 2015 when he survived an assassination attempt.
He was confronted by a man wearing a balaclava in the driveway before two shots were fired through his car window, according to information At the moment.
The shots narrowly missed him and Solomos managed to escape with only “minor injuries” from the broken glass.
Solomos, 41, is the founder of family business Derrimut 24:7 Gyms, which has an extensive list of branches across Victoria and South Australia.
At a news conference to find the gunman, Solomos told reporters he had no known enemies and owed no money.
‘It happened in a split second. By the time I could see the person standing with the balaclava, it was too late to do anything: the shots were fired,” he told Herald of the sun At the moment.
Just weeks after the shooting, Victoria’s bomb squad was called to the gym owner’s home in Burnside for a device attached to his car.
Police were called to the scene and homes were evacuated after the device was found under their vehicle. It was not explosive and was thought to be a tracker.
The following year, in June 2016, a man was charged with attempted murder, stalking and placing a tracking device on his Chrysler 300c.
In October 2021, his gym empire was in the news again when a man with a hammer caused $500,000 worth of damage to three gyms in Melbourne’s northwest.
The man arrived at the Derrimut 24:7 gym around 1am on October 20 on a motorcycle before breaking into the gym wearing the company’s branded products.
Solomos (pictured) also made headlines in June 2015 when he survived an assassination attempt, when two shots were fired through his car window.
He then spent nearly an hour using a hammer to smash all of the gym’s cardio machines and 220 mirrors on the walls, according to information At the moment.
At the time, Solomos called the damage “a category five tornado,” adding, “I didn’t think it was humanly possible that the place could be damaged that much.”
The vandal broke into two other gyms in Derrimut and Coolaroo, smashing 700 mirrors and causing more than $500,000 worth of damage.
The branch has since recovered from the shocking vandalism and Solomos often promotes his thriving business on his personal and professional Instagram pages.
As well as running his successful gym empire, Solomos is also a fitness fanatic and has a background in football and bodybuilding.
In recent years, he has also taken up boxing and joined the Only Hands professional and celebrity fight night on October 23, 2022 at the Melbourne Pavilion.
He now also appears to be making a career move into property after appearing on The Block as a mystery bidder, leading to speculation about his future on the show.
Although Portelli ended up acquiring all five properties, leaving Solomos empty-handed, there has been much speculation about who will replace the top bidder.
Portelli confirmed he won’t be back for another year on The Block following his record-breaking purchases at Sunday night’s final auction.
“I think this was my last year, I think this is my last, I’m hanging up my boots after this,” he told 9Entertainment.
Portelli confirmed he won’t be back for another year on The Block following his record five buys in Sunday night’s final auction.
During Sunday’s finale, Maddy and Charlotte Harry became The Block’s youngest auction winners after their Phillip Island home sold for $3.5 million.
Solomos has not mentioned his brief appearance on The Block on any of his social media, as it appears to be a well-kept secret.
During Sunday’s finale, Maddy and Charlotte Harry became The Block’s youngest auction winners.
The sisters, a latecomer to the 2024 series, took home a staggering $1.65 million profit after Portelli bought their home for $3.5 million.
Maddy, 24, and Charlotte, 22, also took home an additional $100,000 for their monumental win.
The Block regular also purchased the other four Phillip Island properties that night, spending a total of $15.03 million.