Former US President Donald Trump allegedly shared potentially sensitive information about nuclear submarines with Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, according to a US media report.
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Sources have told the US' ABC News Mr Pratt passed the information on to at least 45 others, including foreign officials, some of his own employees, journalists and three former prime ministers.
Mr Pratt is Australia's fourth wealthiest person with a net worth of $17.4 billion according to Forbes and runs Pratt Industries, one of the world's largest packaging companies.
He is a member of Florida's Mar-a-Lago Club owned by Mr Trump, where the alleged discussion happened in April 2021, ABC News reported.
The former president allegedly told Mr Pratt the number of nuclear warheads the submarines routinely carried, and how close they could get to a Russian submarine undetected.
It's reported some of the Australian officials Mr Pratt then shared the information with were involved in negotiations with the US Government to secure nuclear-powered submarines.
That deal was struck in 2023 with three of the submarines to be delivered to Australia from the early 2030s.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Mr Pratt has been interviewed at least twice this year by prosecutors and FBI agents, according to ABC News, as part of the case against Mr Trump's for allegedly keeping classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Sources told ABC News Mr Pratt was asked not to repeat the information shared by Mr Trump as it could be too sensitive and that he had told others about the conversation to show how he was advocating for Australia.
The April 2021 conversation was not included in the indictment against Mr Trump of 40 charges of unlawful retention of national defence information and obstruction-related offences.
Pratt Industries has been contacted for comment.
