Would You Be Willing To Pay 14.3 Million Dollars For a License Plate?
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
February 22, 2008 12:12am CST
I heard this on the news last night and couldn't believe it. It seems some people do have a lot of money to burn...on much of nothing in my opinion
Here's the article:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=4301197&page=1
(quote)
No, it's not made of solid gold -- just ordinary aluminum. But it does come with the swagger of being labeled no. "1." And that's evidently worth a record $14.3 million.
Today, a businessman named Saeed Abdul Ghafour Khouri was willing to pay 52.2 dirham -- the equivalent of $14.3 million -- for the local license plate labeled "1" at an auction at the 7-star Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, making it the world's most expensive license plate.
The previous record was held by Abu Dhabi plate number 5, bought at auction for $6.8 million by stock broker Talal Khouri last year.
The oil-rich cities of the Persian Gulf are driven by car culture, with relatively few pedestrian areas or public transport options. Vanity plates are a matter of personal pride and indulgence.
The value of a plate depends on a a mix of math and emotional appeal. Normal license plates have 5 randomized numbers. From there, they get more expensive. Prices go up for fewer digits and cooler numbers. Number one is considered the most prestigious..."
I'm sorry maybe I'm missing something here, but if I had millions or billions of dollars to burn I don't think I'd spend it on one lousy license plate...think how much 14.3 million dollars could be used for some noble or charitable reason....in other words a worthy cause like feeding starving people or providing homes...but a license plate? Give me a friggin break!
10 people like this
28 responses
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Feb 08
If I had that kind of money it certainly wouldn't be for a license plate though
Gnostic..I'm partial to the number 9 as it's the number of the goddess.. LOL
3 people like this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
22 Feb 08
Oh I agree with you Pye - I wouldn't spend that kind of dough on one either.
2 people like this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
22 Feb 08
I agree, how ridiculous.
In my opinion, a person doing something like that is lacking something very basic in their life and is trying to fill a hole.
I'd rather BE 'numba one' to someone than have to buy a silly license plate as a tag to boast about it.
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Can't help thinking that a person like that just plain doesn't know how to use his money wisely--so many other priorities to life than a license plate
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
22 Feb 08
My friend has been working in Emirates for 2 years.People in Emirates are very rich and they spend money on possibly everything that is prestigious.
Emirates has an open economy with very high per capita income.
My friend said that after visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the rest of the world look like very poor cousins....
I wouldn't be willing to pay more that one dollar for any plate. It has no meaning for me.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
I think a lot of us long for the truly "rich" lifestyle..heck know I do. But if or should I say when (hehe) I ever got a lot of money I would spend it wisely, and even give it to charities to help people..I wouldn't buy nonsensical useless things like one lousy license plate ...I don't even cotton to the idea of spending a lot on clothes..why would I want to spend for instance close to a $1,000 for a pair of jeans cause it has the Vasace label when my Wranglers suit me just fine thank you...Though wouldn't mine my Jaguar car, Lear Jet, yacht...LOL
1 person likes this
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
22 Feb 08
Well... if we are talking about the oil barons of the middle east... those guys actually don't know what to do with their money.
And their attitude is... charity began at home.
Bringing the price of oil down would be a nice act of charity. But they like their number plate too much. lol
Once you have a few millions... you are in the exclusive club of making money without having to work for it. You make your money work for you. That's a lot of fun... So you won't give it away... not until you reckon you got enough... and most of those people never have enough... they want to build a dynasty. Those guys from the Middle East own real estate right through the Western World... because they already own everything in their own country.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Well all I know if luck is with me and I ever become filthy rich of course I would want to make my money work for me, but wouldn't stop working, also, because I would remember my "roots" and the struggles in my own life I WOULD want to share it for charitable causes...I think the whole thing of it is, since this elite club of oil barons in the middle east just plain don't know what to do with their money...at least not with choices. The real irony..we make fun of someone like Paris Hilton...but are these oil barons any better...they're worse!
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
22 Feb 08
this story was aired in our local news, too....
and i share your exact same feelings...
too much money to be spent on a "piece of tin", dont you think ??!
but believe it or not.. vehicle registration no.s are actually up for sale in my country...
well.. we all have to pay the basic/standard fees for a vehicle registration.. but you can actually bid, and buy your favourite no.s...
so far - the highest bidder or the most expensive no. has never been disclosed..
but... i know for sure... it hasnt cost millions...
some 'big' thousands, maybe.. but not a million...
and what bugs me the most.. is that, even in the very same region (arab/africa)... some of the people of some of the countries are suffering... i am sure that just a bit of those millions.. could have really helped them...
(:(
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
My thoughts exactly that even half of that money spent for one license plate could have been money spent to help people who need help
@SHAMRACK (8576)
• India
22 Feb 08
Hi,
I hope with that amount many could have a better lively hood. Still some has addictions and passions may that might had made that number place so expensive. If those who has money they have to enjoy it or their satisfaction is achieved through various ways one among that is this. Those who have money may not know how much it value may be as noted by the economist Adam Smith "scarcity creates it own demand." If we were billionaires or trillionaires may be we may too have options like this.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Even if I were a billionaire though and had money to "burn" I would never spend so much money on something so useless
@dodoguy (1292)
• Australia
22 Feb 08
Hi pyewacket,
I think you got the question all back to front here.
No way I'd be buying a license plate for $14 million, but I'd sure like to SELL my license plate for that much!
Roll up, roll up, come one, come all, I'm not picky - you want it? It's yours! (for $14 million).
Hell, let's not quibble, just give me $1 million and you can have it!
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Feb 08
Hehe..you're on to something there...I bet the person who did sell that license plate is happy
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
LOL--imagine how much gas you could buy for $14.3 million...you'd be set for life ten times over..hehe
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
22 Feb 08
It is incomprehensible for me to even imagine having so much money that I would even give a THOUGHT to paying 14.3 million dollars for a license plate?!
WOW! To think that there are actually people in the world who honestly do care more about stupid crap then helping out charities! Now I know I have no idea - maybe he does but DAMN!
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Feb 08
Funny you should mention a castle...one of my favorite "hang-outs" is the Unique Homes website where they have million dollar homes..it's a great place to dream away ..LOL...anyway one time I came across a castle in Ireland for about a mere $17 million..
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Feb 08
I heard too that the Saudi Emerates is the richest country in the world...more billionaires there...and they all seem to be willing to throw money away for things like that....gee, for that kind of money I'd rather buy a yacht!
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
23 Mar 08
nope.if i had that kind of money to burn,i'd start a free spay/neuter program for those who can't afford it for their pets.
a plate is ridiculous.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
27 Jun 08
yea i would.either a general no-kill or a elderly pet shelter for animals whose owners have passed away,or what ever happened.there used to be a place called the hermitage like that in arizona,you paid a fee,and it was perpertual care for the remainder of the cat's life.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Jun 08
That would be such a great thing to do...maybe even start your own shelter??
1 person likes this
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
22 Feb 08
It really doesn't surprise me, they can throw their money around like that since we give them plenty more buying their oil. This is why I would like to be more self sufficient oil wise.
1 person likes this
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
22 Feb 08
I would also point out that the population in those countries are living very poorly....I think they money could be better spent addressing the general living conditions of the masses.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
I couldn't agree more that they, the oil barons could spend the money for more charitable means and help people....how is buying one lousy license plate for so much helping anyone...think the priorities are really wrong here
@scarywhitegirl (2766)
• United States
26 Jun 08
Wow, that is ridiculous! I have had a vanity plate before, but that was when it was either the same price as a regular one, or just a bit more. I still have the plates from that state, too, though they aren't on my car anymore. They're the only license plates I'd ever keep. :)
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Jun 08
I can't help thinking that there are a lot of better things to spend so much money on, than just one license plate
@spectrum42 (393)
• United States
22 Feb 08
Amazing... wish I had that kind of money to spend. If I did, it sure wouldn't be on a license plate. I would want to use it to give people houses, food, education, etc.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Exactly my point....so much of that money could have helped needy people not just buy a license plate
@tmg761 (19)
• Denmark
22 Feb 08
I would never pay that much for a licence plate for at least 3 reasons:
1. I don't have that amount of money and I don't think I ever will...luckily I don't care.
2. I don't have a car and I don't drive.
3. I think it's a typical 'Look what I've got' thing - something buy in order to impress others..
tmg761
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Well just supposing I ever did have that kind of money to fool around with, I'd never waste it on something so useless as one license plate
1 person likes this
@tmg761 (19)
• Denmark
23 Feb 08
I agree - but it's his money, so he can spend it on whatever he wants.
Personally I feel the money would have done a lot more good had it been given to charity instead; on the other hand I don't know this guy and maybe he has already donated a lot of money to help the needy - who knows?
It's so easy to judge without knowing the 'full' story.
Have a great day.
1 person likes this
@ajithlal (14716)
• India
23 Feb 08
I think 14.3 million dollars is a very large money. I would certainly used the money for something good if I had. I think there are lots of billionairs in the world who has lots of money. I think some of them should use them for something creative than just burning it.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Think the problem is with multi-millionaires and billionaires they just don't know how to spend money wisely and buy frivolous things that don't matter or have any real use.
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
24 Feb 08
No way - I get mad paying $54.00 a year for mine and that's nothing fancy. I guess some people just have to spend their money someplace - just think I could think of much better places to do it...
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Jun 08
Yes, he could have donated that much money to help people instead
@greysfreak (1384)
• United States
26 Jun 08
Ok, wow. I would never spend that kind of money on a license plate. Not even if it was gold plated. I would most likely buy a house and also contribute money as well. It isn't a bad thing to buy things and enjoy life. But I would rather have fun with the money, and help out friends and family.
But someone like this obviously has way too much money to burn. LOL
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Jun 08
For that kind of money one could get a luxury home, luxury car, and heck a private plane...LOL...but to spend so much money for one license plate? Unreal
@jpso138 (7851)
• Philippines
23 Feb 08
Even if I have millions of millions of money, I will not pay for such. What would I do with a license plate. I would rather buy food for the needy in our place and perhaps do some charity for education and livelihood of people who are in need.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Feb 08
That's what I would do too...help the needy with such money
@gloamglozer (1289)
• Australia
26 Jun 08
It would be funny if the plate got stolen and he had to buy it back. Sooo much money down the drain over one license plate.
I think that it would have been better to spend it on some 100% ethanol powered cars. They were around during one of the World Wars (not sure which one) but it would definitely save motorists heaps of money and also save the environment from using up fossil fuels used to make petrol.
So much money to help make the world a better place and he spends it on a license plate. 
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Jun 08
Yes with that kind of money, if he had been the "generous" sort, could have donated that money to help starving people, and I'm sure there are probably plenty in his area of the world
@fluffysue (1482)
• United States
26 Jun 08
Wow I always wondered what they do with all that money, now we know. I guess we can forget about the price of oil ever going down, since apparently they "need" all that money for useless crap like that. Nice.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
26 Jun 08
What a waste of money...think how many people that could feed instead of pittering it away on a license plate
