The man once dubbed Australia’s most notorious gangster is back on the Gold Coast, but he’s almost unrecognizable.
A former club owner has reappeared in Australia looking much thinner than before.
Tim “Sharky” Ward, who fled Queensland for Thailand in 2009, has long been known for his bodybuilding physique.
But in a recent photo shared on TikTok, the former millionaire looks almost unrecognizable.
“Sharky has lost his height,” one user commented.
The dramatic weight loss comes after Ward returned to the Gold Coast, a decision which appears to be prompted by the pandemic.
Ward became known as the “Shark of Pattaya” and developed a cult following among locals.
He amassed significant wealth at various points in his life, including at one point owning three Lamborghinis in an incredible climb to fortune that began as an orphan in New Zealand.
This was partly due to the extreme interest rates he was known to charge on his loans – in some cases up to 200%.
According to reports, Ward traveled to Thailand after becoming aware of an Australian Federal Police investigation into his activities.
Ward openly admitted to having slept with sex workers in Thailand and said he liked how easy it was to pay off the police on the island paradise.
“I don’t need to wear a shirt. I don’t have to play by the rules and if I break the rules I just pay,” he previously said.
On his Facebook page, which has 60,000 followers, Ward says, “I was penniless and I was a multi-millionaire. The happy place is definitely somewhere in between.
After growing up orphaned in New Zealand, Ward moved to Australia in 1990.
This part of Ward’s upbringing has been attributed to Ward’s well-known habit of feeding stray dogs on the streets of Pattaya.
Ward has signaled his desire to return to Thailand, but only once the country moves away from its vaccine requirements.