Simon Holmes à Court
Simon Holmes à Court (born 30 May 1972) is an Australian businessman and political activist. He is the son of Australia's first billionaire Robert Holmes à Court and convenor of Climate 200. He also serves senior advisor to the Climate and Energy College at Melbourne University, as director of the Smart Energy Council and the Australian Environmental Grant-makers Network. Early life. Holmes à Court was born in May 1972, the son of South African-born Australian businessman Robert Holmes à Court (who became Australia's first billionaire), and businesswoman (and chairperson of Heytesbury Pty  Ltd), Janet Holmes à Court. Holmes à Court grew up in Perth but he and his siblings were sent to Victoria to board at Geelong Grammar School. He began an arts/law degree at the University of Western Australia, where he was involved in student politics, but withdrew after a few years. He then moved to Malaysia to work for the family-owned John Holland Group on IT projects. Holmes à Court subsequently moved to the United States to study cognitive science and computer science at Dartmouth College. Holmes à Court stated that when he was two-and-a-half  he "tried to unlock a power point with a car key" and that his mother "found me there wide eyed and conscious" with his right index finger "blasted to the bone." Career. After completing his degree, Holmes à Court spent five years working in Silicon Valley, including for Netscape, before returning to Australia in 2001. He then began began working for the family-owned Heytesbury Pty. Ltd. attempting to improve the efficiency of their eight cattle stations in the Northern Territory. He subsequently established Observant Pty Ltd as a company to develop remote water monitoring systems and other products. Holmes  à Court was a driving force behind Australia's country's first community-owned wind farm, Hepburn Wind, near Daylesford in Central Victoria. Holmes à Court stated "I got involved in Australia's first community-owned, wind farm in Hepburn. I went along to a public meeting and accidentally came out as the chairman." Politics. Kooyong 200 and feud with Josh Frydenberg. Holmes à Court was a financial supporter and member of federal Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg's Kooyong200 fundraising arm. He was expelled by Frydenberg after he wrote an op-ed in Guardian Australia in 2018 supporting the closure  of AGL's coal-fired Liddell power station. Later in 2019 Holmes à Court was kicked out of Geebung Polo Club (now Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn East) at a "meet the candidate" event with Frydenberg before the 2019 election. Holmes à Court stated "I found myself standing on the footpath with a glass of wine,” Holmes à Court says. “The hostess said, ‘You have to leave now.’ I said, ‘Can I finish my drink?’ She said, ‘No, the Treasurer says you have to leave now.’” Frydenberg criticised Holmes à Court for spending much of the COVID-19 Melbourne lockdowns at his  farm in Daylesford with his family. Holmes à Court responded by saying "I don't even understand his angle... two of my family members were seriously ill, it was the most shit fucking time ever, so Josh can fuck off, excuse me. It was not a pleasant time at all. He doesn't know me.” Climate 200. In the lead up to the 2019 Australian federal election, Climate200 raised nearly half a million dollars for the campaign. It led to the election of Zali Steggall, Helen Haines and the re-election of Rebekha Sharkie. Holmes à Court in 2020 leading  up to the 2022 Australian Federal Election began to get more press coverage with Climate 200. On Thursday 14 October 2021 Holmes à Court appeared on Q+A alongside Liberal MP Tim Wilson, Labor MP Chris Bowen, Amelia Telford (Director of SEED Indigenous Youth Climate Network) and Anne Baker (Mayor of Issac Regional Council). Criticism. Holmes à Court was criticised in April 2019 for calling Senator Jane Hume out for “bitchiness” and in February 2022 for calling Sarah Henderson a "#Crumbmaiden" Holmes à Court has been described by Warren Mundine as the "Clive Palmer but on the left" and that he  is "just one of those filthy-rich spoiled brats who think they ... influence elections by spending millions and millions of dollars.” There are claims that Holmes à Court and his family could make a profit out of a "potential boom in clean energy." Liberal MP Jason Falinski claimed that Holmes à Court is "attempting to take over the Parliament with money" and that "He treats Australians as though their vote is for sale." Personal life. Holmes à Court is married to Katrina Holmes à Court (née von Möller) who is the sister of Australian film director Karl von Möller. They  were married in Hydra, Greece by the mayor. They have four children together. Holmes à Court and his wife have a 36-hectare off-grid farm in Daylesford, Victoria. Holmes à Court lives with his family in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn, Victoria.