Sep 11, 2026 – 9.00amEddie Dilleen, he is known to point out, probably grew up poorer than you. He spent his early life living in public housing with his single mother in Mount Druitt. “She was on a pension, we shopped at the Salvos,” he tells AFR Weekend. “It was dangerous, it was violent. People were shooting up everywhere.”Dilleen knew he wanted a way out, and all the successful people he knew owned land. So, he saved. Working at McDonalds for years during high school, he had $20,000 at 19. It wasn’t enough to buy anywhere in Sydney. So, he looked further afield, on the Central Coast. He bought his first investment property in 2008, and hasn’t looked back.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Myriam RobinSenior writerMyriam Robin is a senior writer based in the Melbourne newsroom. She has previously been a Rear Window columnist and editor, and before that reported on financial markets and media.Fetching latest articles