Car collecting is not a hobby for many ordinary people who are trying to make ends meet. This lifestyle is reserved for those who can afford the lavish and extravagant living as if they don't care about the world.
Among the collection of the few and the elite, there is a small select high-rolling drivers where they believe no car is complete without a single-digit license plate.
According to CNNMoney, in United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich country, a few wealthy elite are willing to drop millions of dollars to get their hands on one.
One such person is Dubai property developer Balwinder Sahni, who wanted a highly coveted plate bearing the number 5. He wanted it so much, he bid 33 million dirhams (US$ 9 million) for it at a government auction in early September.
It was one of the largest sums ever spent on a license plate, although still lower than the US$ 14 million record set in 2008 by an Abu Dhabi businessman.
Sahni found that his big purchase also brought him a lot of attention. He says he can't go out in public without people stopping him and asking to take a photo -- and some aren't impressed, accusing him of wasting his money.
"It's hard, people giving comments without knowing the type of person I am," Sahni told CNNMoney. He described himself as "a simple man."
The single-digit plates now adorn two of his six Rolls Royce cars. (He also has two more of the luxury vehicles on order.)
It's also not the first time Sahni has spent serious money on a license plate. He secured a No. 9 plate with a winning bid of 24.5 million dirhams (US$ 6.7 million) at a government auction last year.
Since Dubai has no income tax, Sahni says he sees the hefty license plate purchases as his contribution to the public coffers. He says he believes the money will go to charity and toward improving the city's infrastructure.
"I believe in giving back," he said. "This city has given me a lot."
Among the collection of the few and the elite, there is a small select high-rolling drivers where they believe no car is complete without a single-digit license plate.
According to CNNMoney, in United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich country, a few wealthy elite are willing to drop millions of dollars to get their hands on one.
One such person is Dubai property developer Balwinder Sahni, who wanted a highly coveted plate bearing the number 5. He wanted it so much, he bid 33 million dirhams (US$ 9 million) for it at a government auction in early September.
It was one of the largest sums ever spent on a license plate, although still lower than the US$ 14 million record set in 2008 by an Abu Dhabi businessman.
Sahni found that his big purchase also brought him a lot of attention. He says he can't go out in public without people stopping him and asking to take a photo -- and some aren't impressed, accusing him of wasting his money.
"It's hard, people giving comments without knowing the type of person I am," Sahni told CNNMoney. He described himself as "a simple man."
The single-digit plates now adorn two of his six Rolls Royce cars. (He also has two more of the luxury vehicles on order.)
It's also not the first time Sahni has spent serious money on a license plate. He secured a No. 9 plate with a winning bid of 24.5 million dirhams (US$ 6.7 million) at a government auction last year.
Since Dubai has no income tax, Sahni says he sees the hefty license plate purchases as his contribution to the public coffers. He says he believes the money will go to charity and toward improving the city's infrastructure.
"I believe in giving back," he said. "This city has given me a lot."
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