Dear Mr. Know-It-All,
What is it with Hongkongers and Rolls-Royces? – Roller Derby
Good question, Roller Derby. In essence: beautiful, terrifying things happen when you stuff this many tycoons into this small a land mass.
It as, after all, a commonly trotted-out statistic that Hong Kong has more Rolls-Royces per capita than any other place in the world. Well, rest assured: that bragging right is about to expire very soon, and it’s all thanks to a certain Hong Kong tycoon.
You see, in September, ludicrously flamboyant tycoon Stephen Hung put in an order with the UK luxury mechanics for 30 Rolls-Royce Phantom cars. Doesn’t sound like all that much? Well, it happens to be the largest single order in the company’s history. It’s more than double the previous largest-ever order, the Peninsula hotel’s fleet of 14 cars, ordered in 2006.
Two of those 30 cars will be the most expensive Phantoms ever, complete with gold-plating. The bill Hung has to foot? A measly $156 million.
But tragically for those dedicated to increasing the density of ridiculous cars on Hong Kong streets, Stephen Hung doesn’t intend his cars for the SAR. Instead they are bound for Macau, and Hung’s uber-luxury Louis XIII hotel and casino. The resort, slated to open in 2016, will be able to chauffeur its guests around in nouveau-riche extravagance.