Ultra Tune boss Buckley and good mate of 13 years fall out

ULTRA Tune boss Sean Buckley wanted Jimmy Seoud around and was happy to pay for his company and odd jobs.

Before the recent dramatic breakdown of a 13-year friendship, Mr Seoud enjoyed overseas jaunts, the run of his own strip club then-called Toybox Showgirls, a six-figure salary and free accommodation in a Surfers Paradise apartment, according to Fair Work Commission documents outlining his failed unfair dismissal bid.

The pair had known each other for 12 to 13 years and the friendship between the pair continued after the breakdown of Mr Buckley’s marriage.

He returned to Australia in 2014 and lived at his company-owned Melbourne apartment. He allowed Mr Seoud to move in across the hall.

Mr Buckley thought it was a good idea to have well-connected Mr Seoud introduce him to a network of friends and associates, he told the FWC.

There wasn’t much for him to do but Mr Buckley was happy to pay Mr Seoud for various things, according to the FWC. Mr Seoud helped throw parties.

“I wanted him around. He filled a void in my life, and I was willing to pay for it,” Mr Buckley told the FWC.

Mr Buckley, who has known Mr Seoud’s sister for two decades, paid Mr Seoud via car repair giant Ultra Tune’s accounts, the FWC decision document states.

Mr Seoud said he did whatever Mr

Buckley asked him to do, would help out with promotions and he met franchisees and even travelled overseas.

In 2018 he sent Mr Seoud to oversee renovations at his Aria apartment in Surfers Paradise. Mr Seoud was living in it rent free and continued to have possessions at the Melbourne unit.

The pair would attend Hollywood Showgirls strip club on the Gold Coast until they were banned, which it’s understood related to a falling out Mr Buckley had with the owner.

So Mr Buckley told Mr Seoud to find him a strip club to buy. In June 2018 – he purchased the Toy Box club – and put Mr Seoud in charge.

Mr Buckley claims instead of a pay rise, at one point Mr Seoud was given a $180,000 Mercedes. Mr Seoud claims he thought it was a company car.

But now the car is gone, and so too the handsome salary and strip club. Both now live in Melbourne where Mr Seoud said on Wednesday he was now working in construction.