Fashion Plate: UAE license #1 goes for $14.5m
Some records stay in place for a while, and some are shattered regularly. Records set for obscene spending on frivolity never seem to stay put for very long, however, as there's always someone with more cash to blow on something ridiculous. And so it transpires that after tuning magnate Afzal Kahn paid $870,000 for the F1 license plate in the UK, Arabian billionaire Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri dropped the equivalent of $14.5 million on UAE license plate number 1.
If that seems like a big hunk of cash for a registration number, consider that Khouri, who has yet to decide on which of his assuredly many vehicles he'll mount the plate, was prepared to spend over twice that much – 100 million emirate dirhams, or $30 million – on the plate. The sale took place at an auction in Abu Dhabi, the proceeds from which are earmarked towards assisting victims of traffic accidents. At least it's going to a good cause, then.
[Source: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DIRETTORE 6:16PM (2/18/2008)
* WTF!?
Are my eyes playing tricks on me?
If he's that rich, he doesn't even need plates.
He drives around with his entourage in any case.
The car in front holding the front plate. The car behind holding the rear plate.
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3seriesisking 6:17PM (2/18/2008)
You gotta be shi**n' me
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Franz 6:18PM (2/18/2008)
Oh, what fun I'd have if I only had a fraction of the wealth of these guys... even .05%...
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John 6:30PM (2/18/2008)
Ya great, $14 million on crap like this and they are unwilling to produce more oil. More money than brains.
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garlinski 6:35PM (2/18/2008)
Question is, what is he putting that plate on? Curious....
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Daniel 7:05PM (2/18/2008)
And does he switch which car it's put on, depending on what "mood" he's in?
Harrison 7:36PM (2/18/2008)
I'd stick it onto a Honda Civic. Non-VTEC.
Just for the scandalous factor. :D
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NicolasBourbaki 10:02PM (2/18/2008)
"The average net worth for Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is $17 million (AED 62 million)"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi#Economy
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Paul 11:41PM (2/18/2008)
Wholly smoke's i thought $500 ish a year in Australia was too much, come on a small country wouldn't cost that much
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Michael 11:10PM (2/18/2008)
The racist comments here are amazing. Grow up.
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Ayoub 11:12PM (2/18/2008)
Nuke and pave? How about we nuke and pave you?
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vdk 11:15PM (2/18/2008)
that's our money right there... hope u guys realize that... my next car.... a TDI
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Korona 11:23PM (2/18/2008)
I already own a diesel, the less we give the less we're contributing to our own demise.
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FAB 11:53PM (2/18/2008)
...and diesel comes from? VDK -get back to school boy!
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Zane 1:38AM (2/19/2008)
It amazes me that we're still surrounded by racist bastards who have nothing more to do than sit around all day posting nonsensical comments on blogs like these. For the love of God, grow up! And if you're so concerned about paying higher gas prices, why the heck don't you switch to more economical means of transportation, like a Prius, Civic NGV or even a bloody Tahoe-H? No, you can't, right? You're too busy showing off that stupid Hummer (or Escalade or whatever).
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Vintage 2:02AM (2/19/2008)
Actually I drive a fuel efficient compact car. I'm just sick of these bastards. They're filthy rich while millions of their brothers starve to death, they emulate our lifestyle while killing us with suicide bombers for it, it's just one big joke. The world would be a much better place without religion.
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Andrew 2:07AM (2/19/2008)
There's little to no relationship between the people in question and terrorists besides the color of their skin and rough geographic location. What you're taking part in is racism, not informed opinion.
Ayoub 6:06AM (2/19/2008)
Totally, just because they're Arab means they fund suicide bombings. Go get an education, racist.
Andrew 2:04AM (2/19/2008)
I can't believe this was ranked positively. Comments like this make me embarrassed to be an American. Please castrate yourself and save the world a lot of trouble in the future.
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CJ 3:19AM (2/19/2008)
Well said! Idiots like this spend millions on stupid crap like number plates while millions starve to death by poverty and disease, hundreds die from suicide bombings funded by these people!!
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