Chinese men fined for burning cash to boast how rich they are
Men tracked down by police in Anhui province after video of them burning banknotes in a drunken bet is posted online, TV station reports
Two Chinese men have been fined 1,000 yuan (US$160) each for burning banknotes in a drunken bet to prove who was richer, according to a television report.
The two men from Tianchang in southeastern Anhui province were eating dinner at a restaurant on January 24 when they decided to start burning banknotes in a row to prove who was wealthier, Anhui TV reported on Sunday.
The men, whose full names were not given, are shown in video footage arguing before burning the cash.
One man challenged the other to burn banknotes to prove his wealth. The other agreed and they both started setting fire to 100 yuan notes.
The report did not reveal the total amount of cash destroyed by the two men.
The incident was revealed by another person at the dinner who shot the video and shared it online.
Police tracked down the two men and fined them. Deliberately damaging or defacing Chinese currency is a criminal offence in China.
A police officer told the TV station: “People at the dinner had drunk quite a lot of alcohol. After some argument, the two people decided to challenge each other.”
