In Queensland, a renowned moneylender who was formerly known as Australia’s toughest mobster was found looking completely different.
Tim “Sharky” Ward, a former millionaire, fled from the Gold Coast to the streets of Thailand in 2009 after coming under suspicion from the Australian authorities.
The highly tattooed Kiwi immigrant gained notoriety as the “Shark of Pattaya” in the Asian country due to his imposing bodybuilder physique and tough treatment of owing debtors.
However, the former nightclub owner, who had left the spotlight four years prior, returned covertly to the Gold Coast during the Covid epidemic and has since experienced a significant makeover.
The once-bulky Ferrari enthusiast, who gained a cult following in the bodybuilding scene, can be seen in footage recorded by a fan on TikTok losing a lot of muscle mass and growing out his once-closely shaven head and facial hair.
Along with a crying emoji, the follower complained that “Sharky lost his size.”
Since returning to Australia, Ward has settled into a laid-back lifestyle on the Gold Coast and has been regularly updating his more than 66,000 Facebook followers with pictures of his motorcycle trips across the countryside.
Other shots depict sunrises and sunsets over the charming water canals that branch out all over the city.
“I’ve been wealthy and have been penniless.” The happy place is undoubtedly in the middle,’ his Facebook bio states.
Despite his apparent weight loss, the fitness fanatic still appears to be working out, as seen by the online photos of his post-workout physique and the advice he gave to admirers last month about how to buy protein bars in bulk when they are on sale.
He announced in June that he intended to go back to Thailand after the government dropped the requirement for the Covid entrance visa, which serves as proof of immunization.
In a video, he stated, “Everyone keeps asking me, “Are you going back to Thailand?”
Yes, when they discontinue the Thailand Pass, I will return to Thailand. Right now, I’m too busy to bother applying for dumb passes.
I will, however, miss Australia. The world’s most beautiful country is Australia. I’ve traveled a lot, but nothing has been as lovely as here.
Having grown up without parents on the streets of New Zealand, where he immediately became a social outcast, Ward’s colorful life began. His early reputation has followed him into adulthood.
“When no one is going to give it to you, you have to make it yourself.” There are no parents to call upon, therefore you must act accordingly. At birth, I was given up for adoption. No mommy and daddy,” Ward declared in 2017 to the website Stickman Bangkok.
“When I was a child, I was bullied.” I was carried home by a boy, who was then dragged inside and the door slammed by his parents. That youngster was me.
While still residing across the Tasman, he developed a fixation with making quick cash by playing billiards for money, and at the age of 16, he entered his first gym.
In 1990, Ward left his village of Waitara, Taranaki on the North Island of New Zealand in order to follow his goals in Australia’s Gold Coast.
At his height, he possessed three Lamborghinis in three different colors. He was a well-known nightclub owner and millionaire personal lender who lived a luxury lifestyle while charging up to 200 percent interest on his loans.
In the middle of the 2000s, Ward was prosecuted by the Department of Fair Trading and was ordered to pay $270,000 in fines and $100,000 in court costs. He was also prohibited from lending money in Queensland.
Ward came to Thailand in order to finally be “free” after getting into trouble with Australian authorities in 2009.
He admitted to having slept with Thai sex workers in the past and living a life of thrill seeking there. He also admitted to using money to get out of jail.
I’m not required to wear a shirt. Ward previously stated, “I don’t have to follow the regulations, and if I do, I just pay.”
It is among the few spots in the entire globe where I truly feel free. I continually mess up, but I get caught. Prison is preferable to this. I would be imprisoned in Australia.
The luxury vehicle aficionado, who formerly owned three Lamborghinis, would also give meat to scores of stray dogs and cats on the streets of “sin city” for four hours each night.
He gained a large following online because to his kindness, which included protecting the animals from inebriated tourists who shot at the helpless critters and keeping an eye out for wandering children.