John Gandel: The Chadstone Owner and Mall Builder

The Builders | Olam.business

John Gandel AC (born 1935, Melbourne) bought the Chadstone Shopping Centre from Myer for A$37 million in 1983 and developed it into Australia's largest shopping mall — currently valued at over A$3.3 billion. He owns 50% of Chadstone, with the other 50% held by listed REIT Vicinity Centres, in which Gandel also holds approximately 17%. The Australian Financial Review's 2025 Rich List placed his net worth at A$7.21 billion.

Gandel is one of only seven living individuals to appear on every Financial Review Rich List since 1984. Before Chadstone, he and his brother-in-law Marc Besen built the Sussan women's clothing chain into 200+ stores. His parents were Polish Jewish immigrants who opened a corsetry store on Melbourne's Collins Street. Through Gandel Philanthropy, founded with his wife Pauline in 1978, the family has directed over A$200 million to Jewish, Australian, and Israeli causes.

Snapshot

Born	1935 (as Aaron Jonna Gandel), Melbourne, Australia
Parents	Sam and Fay Gandel, Polish Jewish immigrants
Education	Melbourne High School
First business	Sussan women's clothing chain — built to 200+ stores with brother-in-law Marc Besen
Pivotal transaction	July 1983 — bought Chadstone Shopping Centre from Myer for A$37 million
Main holding today	50% Chadstone Shopping Centre (now A$3.3B+); 17% Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX); 15% Charter Hall (ASX: CHC)
Net worth	A$7.21 billion (AFR Rich List 2025)
Wife	Pauline Gandel AC — Companion of the Order of Australia (2019)
Children	Four; daughter Lisa Thurin serves on Gandel Foundation board
Honors	Officer of the Order of Australia (1990); Companion of the Order of Australia (2017); honorary doctorate Tel Aviv University (2006)

The Business Story

Sam and Fay Gandel arrived in Melbourne from Poland with nothing. They opened a corsetry store on Collins Street and built it into the foundation of a clothing business. John and his sister Eva grew up inside it. By the 1950s John had taken over and, together with his brother-in-law Marc Besen (Eva's husband), built Sussan into a women's clothing chain of more than 200 stores across Australia.

In 1983, John Gandel sold his Sussan stake to Besen (who built Sussan, Sportsgirl, and Suzanne Grae into a fashion empire of his own) and pivoted to commercial real estate. The pivot transaction was Chadstone Shopping Centre, which Myer sold to the Gandel Group for A$37 million in July 1983. Myer at the same time sold Northland Shopping Centre to Gandel. (Gandel sold Northland in 2012 for A$455 million.)

Chadstone is the foundation of the modern Gandel empire. Located in Melbourne's southeast, the mall has undergone repeated redevelopment over four decades and is now valued at over A$3.3 billion. Chadstone hosts more than 600 retailers including Balenciaga, Valentino, and Chanel. It is the largest shopping mall in Australia and one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Gandel owns 50%; the other 50% is held by Vicinity Centres, in which Gandel holds approximately 17%.

The wider property portfolio:

Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX) — approximately 17% stake; formed from the 2015 merger of Federation Centres and Novion Property Group
Charter Hall (ASX: CHC) — approximately 15% stake; A$151 million original investment in 2009 post-recapitalization
Direct real estate holdings across Melbourne and broader Australia
Point Leo Estate — 135-hectare vineyard and sculpture park on the Mornington Peninsula; described as Gandel's A$50 million late-life passion project; now open to the public

The 2025 AFR Rich List figure of A$7.21 billion makes him among the top 15 wealthiest Australians. Forbes 2025 placed him at approximately US$3.7 billion.

Why Gandel Matters in Israel

Gandel is one of the most consequential diaspora donors to Israeli institutions of his generation. The 2022 Gandel Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem — a USD $132+ million facility — is a flagship contribution. The Gandel Foundation also funds the Taglit-Birthright Israel program, which has brought hundreds of thousands of young Jewish adults to Israel on free trips since 1999.

In 2006, Gandel inaugurated the Gandel Institute for Adult Jewish Learning at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The same year Tel Aviv University awarded him an honorary doctorate — its highest honor — for "business standing, broad leadership roles and philanthropic support in Australia and Israel."

After October 7, 2023, Gandel publicly stated that the IDF needed to go "all out" in its response. He continued and amplified funding to Israeli soldier-welfare, hospital, and rehabilitation programs. The Gandel Foundation has been one of the most consequential Australian-Jewish funding pipelines into Israel for over four decades.

In 2006, Gandel acquired a 50% stake in Plastro Irrigation Systems, an Israeli irrigation company. In May 2007 the majority owners exercised a buyback right.

What Gandel Group Does Today

The Gandel Group is a Melbourne-headquartered private investment holding company with a diversified portfolio across retail real estate, retirement villages, and listed property securities. The principal holding is the 50% interest in Chadstone (held jointly with Vicinity Centres). Pauline Gandel serves as an active director of the Gandel Group. Daughter Lisa Thurin sits on the Gandel Foundation board.

Gandel's Key Holdings

Chadstone Shopping Centre — 50% interest (joint venture with Vicinity Centres); A$3.3B+ valuation
Vicinity Centres (ASX: VCX) — approximately 17% stake
Charter Hall (ASX: CHC) — approximately 15% stake
Direct real estate holdings in Melbourne and broader Australia
Point Leo Estate — 135-hectare vineyard and sculpture park
Gandel Philanthropy / Gandel Foundation — Australia's largest independent family philanthropic foundation
Gandel Rehabilitation Center, Jerusalem — USD $132M+ facility
Gandel Institute for Adult Jewish Learning, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Gandel's Legacy and Influence

Three legacies, layered.

The first is Sussan — the Australian women's fashion chain John and Marc Besen built together. Sussan, Sussan Corp, and the broader Besen-family fashion empire reshape Australian retail history. (Naomi Milgrom, John's niece, took over Sussan Corp in 2003.)

The second is Chadstone. Australia's largest mall did not exist as a destination retail asset before Gandel acquired and developed it. The trade-area gravity, the luxury-brand anchor profile, the 600+ tenant base — these are operating outcomes Gandel built across four decades. Chadstone is what postwar Australian Jewish commercial capital looks like in physical form.

The third is the diaspora-philanthropy pipeline. Over A$200 million directed through Gandel Philanthropy to Jewish, Australian, and Israeli causes. The Jerusalem rehabilitation center, the Birthright funding, the Hebrew University institute, the National Gallery of Victoria support that the family has continued through pro-Palestine protest pressure — these are not separate gestures. They are a long-duration institutional commitment, structured and executed across nearly five decades.

Why Gandel Matters Now

Australia's commercial real-estate sector is in a structural transition. The 2025–2026 retail-property cycle has been mixed; Chadstone has held its position partly because the luxury-brand tenant base is less cyclical than mid-market retail. Gandel's portfolio position — premium destination retail plus listed REIT exposure (Vicinity, Charter Hall) — is structured to weather the cycle.

In Australian-Jewish community life, Gandel's voice and capital have become more visible since October 2023. The family's continued funding of Israeli institutions amid intensified Australian protest activity has positioned him as one of the most prominent Australian-Jewish public supporters of Israel.

FAQ

Who is John Gandel?
John Gandel AC (born 1935, Melbourne) is an Australian businessman, property developer, and philanthropist. He owns 50% of Chadstone Shopping Centre — Australia's largest mall — and significant stakes in listed REIT Vicinity Centres and Charter Hall. The Australian Financial Review Rich List 2025 placed his net worth at A$7.21 billion.

What is Chadstone Shopping Centre?
Chadstone is Australia's largest shopping mall, located in Melbourne's southeast. Currently valued at over A$3.3 billion, it hosts 600+ retailers including luxury brands such as Balenciaga, Valentino, and Chanel. Gandel acquired it from Myer for A$37 million in July 1983 and developed it across four decades into its current form.

How did John Gandel make his fortune?
In two chapters. The first was the Sussan women's clothing chain, which Gandel built with brother-in-law Marc Besen into a 200+ store network across Australia in the 1950s–80s. The second, and larger, was the 1983 acquisition and subsequent development of Chadstone Shopping Centre into a A$3.3B+ destination retail asset and the foundation of the modern Gandel property portfolio.

What is Gandel Philanthropy?
Gandel Philanthropy (also known as the Gandel Foundation) is the family's charitable platform, founded by John and Pauline Gandel in 1978. As of 2024 it has directed over A$200 million to Jewish community causes, education, medical research, the arts, and Israeli institutions including the Gandel Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem and the Gandel Institute at the Hebrew University.

Does John Gandel support Israel?
Yes — across multiple decades and at significant scale. The Gandel Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem (USD $132M+) is a flagship contribution. The Gandel Foundation funds Taglit-Birthright Israel and supports the Gandel Institute for Adult Jewish Learning at the Hebrew University. Gandel publicly stated after October 7, 2023, that the IDF needed to go "all out" in its response.

Who runs the Gandel Group?
John and Pauline Gandel actively oversee the group, with daughter Lisa Thurin on the Gandel Foundation board. Adam Ognall is CEO of the Gandel Foundation. The wider family is involved across business and philanthropic decision-making.

מי הוא ג'ון גנדל? בעל הקניון הגדול ביותר באוסטרליה והעוגן של ההון היהודי-מלבורן

ג'ון גנדל (נולד 1935 במלבורן) רכש את קניון Chadstone מ-Myer ב-1983 תמורת 37 מיליון דולר אוסטרלי, ופיתח אותו לקניון הגדול ביותר באוסטרליה — בשווי נוכחי של מעל 3.3 מיליארד דולר אוסטרלי. הוא מחזיק ב-50% מ-Chadstone, וכן בכ-17% מקרן הריט הציבורית Vicinity Centres ובכ-15% מ-Charter Hall. רשימת העשירים של ה-AFR לשנת 2025 העמידה את שוויו על 7.21 מיליארד דולר אוסטרלי.

גנדל הוא אחד מבעלי התרומות הדיאספוריות המשמעותיים ביותר לישראל בדורו. מרכז גנדל לשיקום בירושלים (מעל 132 מיליון דולר אמריקאי) הוא תרומת הדגל. קרן גנדל ממנת את תוכנית "תגלית" Birthright Israel ואת מכון גנדל ללמודי יהדות מבוגרים באוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים. אחרי 7 באוקטובר 2023 הצהיר פומבית כי על צה"ל לפעול "עד הסוף".

The Olam Editorial Team | The Builders / הבונים

John Gandel: The Chadstone Owner Who Built Australia's Largest Mall