Hong Kong tycoon Stephen Hung has placed the largest order Rolls Royce has ever received—a fleet of 30 Phantoms for chauffeuring guests of the financier’s luxury Louis XIII casino hotel slated to open in Macau in 2016.
The US$20 million purchase, commissioned by Hung’s Hong Kong-listed Louis XIII Holdings, calls for extra-wide wheelbases and special Graff luxury timepieces inside. News reports have it that two of the Phantoms, fitted with gold-plated interior and exterior accents, will be the most expensive ever built.
Rolls Royce also will assist in the design of Louis XIII’s entrance, and the automaker will train the resort’s drivers in the proper handling of the vehicles.
The Phantom’s base price in Britain is about £450,000 ($734,000) including taxes, though prices vary by market and many orders include bespoke features that push prices much higher. Customers have been known to spend more than $1 million on special models.
A former investment banker, the son of a Hong Kong real estate magnate, the 55-year-old Hung is known for his flamboyant tastes, which extend to a fleet of personal luxury and sports cars, including a Bentley valued at $1 million. The Wall Street Journal says he drove a Rolls to work early in his career as an intern at Citibank. His wife, Deborah Valdes, a fashion model, tools around Hong Kong in a hot pink model.
