Tycoon shows he's a model pal

Owen Glenn. Photo / Greg Bowker

Owen Glenn is going into a horse-breeding partnership with Kylie Bax's family.

The Monaco-based businessman is buying the 34-year-old supermodel's share of their luxury Matamata horse stud Blandford Lodge.

The lodge fell victim to the 1987 stockmarket crash but has been revitalised under the Baxes, who bought it in 1999 for an estimated $3 million.

Kylie's father Graham said Glenn stayed at the lodge during a brief visit to New Zealand last week and confirmed the partnership was something they were "looking into".

Glenn, linked to Winston Peters' downfall after the New Zealand First leader denied knowledge of his $100,000 donation to the party's legal bills, was more upfront.

He told the National Business Review he was buying Kylie's share after she decided to focus on interests closer to her home in the US.

The 68-year-old declined to reveal the purchase price but told the NBR he had about $10m to spend on horses and would return the lodge "to its former glory".

He also said he planned to build a home on the property, across the driveway from the Bax homestead.

Glenn, who has strong ties to the racing industry, has known the Baxes for years and in 2000 raced a horse in partnership with Kylie.

They aren't the only friends to benefit from his cash this year. A $65,000 donation saved To Sir With Love, a concert marking Sir Howard's Morrison's 50 years in show business.

Glenn, who has lived abroad since 1966, befriended Sir Howard after flying him to Las Vegas in 2003 to perform at a bash held for his transport company.

The tribute was held in Rotorua and screened on TV One.

Organiser Frankie Stevens said Glenn's donation paid for the travel and accommodation of more than 100 performers and crew.

The performers, paid only a "koha", included Dame Malvina Major, John Rowles and Tiki Taane.

"It soon became obvious that we wouldn't get enough funding to do a major undertaking such as this," said Stevens. "Even if we used all the funding from TVNZ and NZ On Air, we were going to be short by about $60,000."

Stevens was told of the funding difficulties by Sir Howard's daughter Donna who contacted Glenn.

"It was on the premise that it wasn't to be promoted either publicly or privately," said Stevens of the donation.

Auckland taxi driver John Anslow is another to benefit from Glenn's generosity.

They met in the 1950s when they played hockey and toured Fiji with the Mt Albert Grammar Old Boys team in 1959.

"Owen loved it so much he's been going back ever since," said Anslow.

Over the years he has received surprise calls from Glenn, offering to whisk him to exotic locations, including the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa.

Glenn's love affair with Fiji has lasted. He owns a villa on the island of Malolo Lailai and his superyacht, Ubiquitous, was moored at the island's luxury resort, Musket Cove, two weeks ago.