The largest white truffle found in half a century was snapped up at auction last night by casino mogul Stanley Ho Hung-sun, who paid a record US$330,000 for the 1.5kg delicacy.
The auction of the truffle, which drew 20 bids and began with a starting bid for the prized fungus of US$50,000, was held on Mr Ho's home turf at his Grand Lisboa hotel and casino in Macau.
Mr Ho, suffering from a cold, did not attend the auction and made his bids over the phone to his fourth wife, Angela Leung On-kei.
The sale, which attracted tycoons, businessmen, movie stars and celebrities, was part of the International Tuscan Truffle Auction held simultaneously across three cities - London, Florence and Macau - to raise money for charities in each region: Caritas Macau, Britain's Consortium for Street Children and Telethon in Italy.
Six of the 16 truffles sold at the international auction went under the hammer for a total of US$429,000.
The truffle was second only in size to a 2.5kg fungus found in 1954 and presented to US president Dwight Eisenhower.
It was blessed by Pope Benedict before leaving Italy and was named the 'Truffle of the Century'.