wow, out of the blue?http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1357322.htm

Rene Rivkin dead
Sydney businessman Rene Rivkin has been found dead in his Sydney home.

Police say the 61-year-old was found in a bedroom of the house by a family member at 5:15pm today.

They initially established a crime scene but now say there are no suspicious circumstances.

They are preparing a report for the coroner.

Mr Rivkin was born in the Chinese city of Shanghai and migrated to Sydney with his Russian-Jewish parents in 1951.

He believed he was always blessed with luck and at the age of 14, he was accidentally allocated shares in the float of a broadcasting company.

Mr Rivkin doubled his money, beginning a life-long obsession with stockbroking.

He started his first company soon after graduating from law at Sydney University in 1969.

Success fuelled other passions - exotic cars, antiques and cigars.

He was known for entertaining visiting celebrities on his yachts.

Mr Rivkin was convicted of insider trading in April, 2003.

He was to serve nine months of period detention but the sentence was delayed to allow him to undergo treatment for depression and brain tumours.

Speaking to ABC TV at the time, Mr Rivkin said while he struggled with the depressive disorder hypomania he was not afraid of death.

"Being an atheist, of course, I don't believe in any afterlife," he said.

"I find it very convenient that all you do is fall asleep and never wake up again.

"There's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't hurt."

Mr Rivkin is survived by his wife Gayle and four sons.

Another victim of mental illness failed by the 'justice' system.

Shit happens...

yes blame the justice system.

Instead they should have said "Hey, he's sick, lets not punish him"

Yes, they should have. People with a mental illness should be given proper care in appropriate facilities. Sure, some have to be separated from the community, but it serves no purpose doing this in a traditional jail.

if you commit a crime you need to be prepared to suffer the consequences. Any death is sad, but its hardly justice fault he decided to break the law.

Mental Illness can do strange things - I have seen it first hand. We don't yet know if the problems with his sentencing and goal time was in anyway related to his passing.

I think his punishment was too severe but I also think he made a mockery of the system which was in itself unacceptable.

I feel sorry for him though - living will mental health issues can be difficult for those with the condition and those close to the sufferer.

This is a sad turn of events - his life had really altered from the high times when I used to see his purple bentley parked near my friend's place in KingsX I'd see him sitting in the same cafe puffing on those cigars. He was a flamboyant and rather amusing eccentric addition to the Sydney social landscape.

I didn't know he was a Russian Chinese though - interesting news.

So very sad, he was such a great guy, I can't beleive it. I cried when I heard the news, I met him a few times when I was a modeling and he really was a great person. He should be given a funeral as big as that old religous man.

Go away. You really have so little else in your life that you feel the need to post on a board at which you have nothing of any substance to contribute? Why not follow your good friend Mr Rivkins lead then?

LOL ^

Gee, it only seemed like yesterday I would wake up on the sofa, TV still on and it would be like 2.00AM in the morning and he would be spouting his "Rivkin Report" in advertorials. That was before the trials started.

"out of the blue"? Hardly. Anyone could see he was a prime candidate for suicide. The Denton interview for example.
I will refrain to use the old saying about happiness and money.

Looks like his worry beeds's elastic bands has been overstretched because of his on going depression.

He was a good character.

Go away. You really have so little else in your life that you feel the need to post on a board at which you have nothing of any substance to contribute? Why not follow your good friend Mr Rivkins lead then?

That's no way to speak to a lady. calm down a little maybe?

its sad that things ended this way for someone who was so successful at times, it really shows, that even with all the money in the world at your finger tips, life isn't as fun as most would think with all that money, I guess money can't buy happniness after all?

^ where the hell have you been for the last month.
She deserves to be spoken to like that.


And i dont care about him dieing.
I feel sorry for his family.
But he did it. How many criminals deal with it and take what they get.

Dont go crying mental illness to me either.

Either way..

at least he didn't take anyone else with him which shows signs of sanity!

So very sad, he was such a great guy, I can't beleive it. I cried when I heard the news, I met him a few times when I was a modeling and he really was a great person. He should be given a funeral as big as that old religous man.
I hope you didn't go to The Gap with any of his friends. :runaway:

I hope you didn't go to The Gap with any of his friends. :runaway:

Peter, nice to see you round these parts again. Been ages! :)

^ where the hell have you been for the last month.
She deserves to be spoken to like that.


And i dont care about him dieing.
I feel sorry for his family.
But he did it. How many criminals deal with it and take what they get.

Dont go crying mental illness to me either.

Either way..


i have been popping in a little bit now and then, but have been very busy....why what did i miss? i just think its a bit rude to speak like that to someone...hell i got warned for it...why should someone else on this forum be different?

and anyone who kills themselves are insane...think about it....

Hey Patrick! Likewise!! I've been reading the forums a lot lately and posted a few times. We MUST catch up soon - will give you a call :)

is it just me or does anyone else become gobsmacked reading some of the bits in the newspapers about rene rivkin? Yesterday there was an item in the telegraph that was so mean spirited you would have thought the author was writing about a violent criminal.

I am not saying that Rivkin was an angel. Although I do reckon a bit of the tall poppy syndrome brought him down since not many have gone away for insider trading like he did. Anyway, what I was trying to get at is how cruel the journos seem to be. Sometimes it just takes my breath away. If you think about it, its not as if Rivkin will be reading it so whats the point of being so mean spirited? Do you reckon the journo just wants the surviving family to have a super good day?

Adding my :2cents: on the Samantha topic..... Her typical posts seem to be attempts to enflame. More often than not its a slam on someone or something or some ethnicity. Its just gotten a bit over the top, well, more than a bit yeah, i'd say its gotten way way over the top.

Rivkin had the best lawyers money could buy, and he had the best health care money could buy. Ninety nine percent of people who go through the criminal justice system aren't so fortunate. This is unfortunate (for people who liked him), but not an injustice. There's plenty of upscale mental hospitals around, but I guess he or his doctors didn't think it was necessary.

Posted by Peter: I hope you didn't go to The Gap with any of his friends.


Posted by ozfrog: Peter, nice to see you round these parts again.

Peter sounds like nothing more than a vile creature.

Posted by Nikko (Ofcourse): Shit happens

If you had any respect for yourselves and others, you wouldn't say things like that.

can Jan ban any usernames matching "*Samantha*"?

But surely if she has even an ounce of intelligence she'll just use another name.

She probably wouldn't have thought of that though, would she?

If you had any respect for yourselves and others, you wouldn't say things like that.

I have a high sense of respect for myself and others.

Shit does happen. I wasn't a big fan of the guy, but I do give my condolences to the family.

But surely if she has even an ounce of intelligence she'll just use another name.

You give her faarrr too much credit by even pondering that :ohno:

Okay whats your problem now, I just express my saddness at the death of a great man.

you give this man too much credit.
This man was no Diana. No Pope...

Her idol is probably some person who lives on the street that hasn't worked in their entire life.

you give this man too much credit.
This man was no Diana. No Pope...

Here is what I don't get though. He is dead. So bashing him now has no effect on him. All it does (ok, prolly not inthis forum but certainly in the media) is hurt his family. Its not like he was a Hitler or some violent evil man who wreaked havoc and mayhem and tragedy throughout the world or even throughout Sydney. Its not as if we have to keep retelling the story of Rene Rivkin so as not to repeat the past.

So, the man is dead. Can't we just allow his family to mourn him and let him rest in peace?

^ I dont disagree.

I was just saying that because Samantha and a couple of other people are sitting in here worshipping the guy, and it is ridiculous.

I was just saying that because Samantha and a couple of other people are sitting in here worshipping the guy, and it is ridiculous.

thanks for that :)
and as to Samantha, I know its really hard to ignore her idiotic posts (and a number of others too), as so many of us (me included) often just want to right the wrongs in what people say. i know i often want to shout "hey, this person (or that person) does not speak for all of us" or "hey, were you skipped over when they were passing out compassion and brains?" but maybe it would be better if we all just tried to ignore some (most, all?) of those posts. i reckon its more about attention seeking and ignorance on the part of those persons who post obviously inflamatory remarks and if we ignore the awful behaviour maybe it will cease?

ok, enough rambling on my part. cheers :)