Headline king and controversial Australian businessman Geoffrey Edelsten has died at age 78.

The Herald Sun has reported that Edelsten passed away on Friday afternoon at his apartment in Melbourne. Victoria police confirmed that a man in his late 70s died at the scene at Balencea Apartments on St Kilda Road. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

Edelsten was a successful businessman but is arguably best known for his wild antics and his roller-coaster relationships and has featured regularly in the press for decades over various scandals.

Edelsten’s failed marriage to Leanne Nesbitt was covered extensively in the press. He met the model when he was 40 and she was 19, they wed a year later and stayed together for four years. During the duration of their marriage, Edelsten purchased the Sydney Swans football team for a reported $6.3 million, but by the end of the couple’s tenure, he had filed for bankruptcy.

After divorcing Nesbitt, Edelsten went on to be involved in two more very high profile and tumultuous relationships. The first was with Brynne Edelsten, he was 67 at the time and she was 26. The couple got married in an extravagant ceremony which was said to cost a staggering $3.3 million and included circus performers and 500 guests.

After four years together, the couple announced their split in 2014 and Edelsten quickly fell into a new relationship with another young woman, Gabi Grecko. He married 24-year-old American model Gabi Grecko in June 2015, just months after he finalised his divorce from Brynne. The couple had an on-again-off-again relationship for some years before finally splitting for good.

Former Swans player Greg Williams has expressed his condolences for Edeslsten on 3AW this evening.

“He was a great man Geoffrey. People had an opinion of him but he was a lot different than the actual opinion. He was a great guy with a great heart and he loved the Swans even though he barracked for Carlton,” he shared.

“He loved football and he couldn’t have looked after me any better than he did.

“I loved Dr Edelsten. All the blokes who played for the Swans I’m sure there’s great memories there.”

CNN journalist Amy Croffey also paid tribute to the late businessman on Twitter writing: “very sorry to hear this news, I had many a colourful conversation with Geoffrey Edelsten, including on his wedding day to Gabi Grecko. May he Rest In Peace in one of his eccentric, OTT suits.”

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