Kyle Sandilands′ entire future was predicted on a paper napkin weeks before his $12 million settlement with former employee ARN – and the promise of $20 million a year and “no rules” is seemingly what inspired his next big career move.
Opening up about his next plans to Craig Bruce from the Game Changers Radio podcast, Sandilands reportedly told the host some hasty mathematics convinced him to turn to the world of independent podcasting.
The ‘paper napkin’ idea shared by Game Changers Radio actually kick-started an idea for Sandilands, after people with money saw it and came to him to pursue it. Instagram/@gamechangers.radio
“Hey, big news, Kyle Sandilands and ARN have settled, so there won’t be a court case, there’s no mushroom trial unfortunately, coming for Kyle Sandilands and ARN,” Bruce joked in a video shared to the Game Changers Radio Instagram.
Bruce revealed that Sandilands had called him a couple of days before the news of the settlement broke, to let him know that it was coming.
“He also gave me an update on what he’s planning to do next, which was inspired by our back of the napkin conversation that we had about potentially making some online content,” Bruce continued.
The radio expert then shared a snap of the napkin – which had previously been discussed on the podcast – titled K + J Podcast Math.
The mocked up napkin has a rough draft of how much the breakfast radio king could make through turning to podcasting, which even Sandilands admitted had been bought to his attention.
Bruce noted Sandilands is “in the process of finalising” his next plans.
“During the conversation Kyle said to me, ‘I wanna tell you guys first, what we’re doing, and I wanna share that with your audience before I talk to anyone else’,” he continued.
In the Game Changers episode, Bruce said that Sandilands more or less told him that he just wanted to “start making my own money again”.
“‘I want to get things moving, I want to do things on my own terms,’ [Sandilands said] so it was exciting. I thought, he’s in a good headspace,” Bruce recalled.
Kyle Sandilands has teased his next plans, admitting one napkin kickstarted the idea, according to radio expert Craig Bruce. Instagram/kyle sandilands fans
Bruce said that when Sandilands called him, he said he wanted to talk about the back of the napkin idea.
“He said, ‘Well, a couple of people who it that have lots of money and they came to me and said can we? That sounds like a plan,’” he said.
Bruce said Sandilands admitted he was also calling to thank him for the idea.
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, ARN said it had agreed to pay Sandilands a settlement sum of $12.09 million, with $3 million of the package payable in July 2026 and the balance payable monthly until June 2029.
Sandilands has told the network he “intends to pursue independent media opportunities”.
As part of the settlement, ARN will provide Sandilands with “advertising services on ARN’s partner platforms”, worth $1.5 million over the next three years.
ARN’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Stephenson said the deal ends legal action between the two parties.
Both Sandilands and former co-host Jackie O Henderson took legal action against ARN, but his settlement ends one of the two lawsuits. A Current Affair
“This agreement brings certainty for ARN and resolves the legal dispute,” Stephenson said.
“ARN remains focused on executing its strategy, including driving a leaner, more efficient operating model, strengthening its core radio network and continuing to invest in digital capabilities and long-term growth.”
The settlement comes after Sandilands took legal action against his former employer, after terminating his $100 million KIIS FM contract earlier this year.
The settlement will now end one of two lawsuits brought against ARN after the end of the Kyle and Jackie O Show in February following an on-air bust up between its two stars.