In a remarkable display of luxury spending, an Indian Hyderabad man, shelled out a record Rs 25.5 lakh to secure the fancy number plate ‘9999’ during an online auction conducted by the Telangana State Road Transport Authority.
Officials reported that the online auction for fancy registration numbers saw ‘9999’ fetching the highest bid of Rs 25,50,002, paid by a car owner who secured the registration plate ‘TG-09 9999’ for his high-end vehicle.
As many as eleven participants vied for the fancy number ‘9999’ in the auction held on Monday, with the final bid reaching Rs 25.5 lakh, said Hyderababd Joint Transport Commissioner C Ramesh.
The news quickly went viral on social media, igniting a debate over the appropriateness of spending such a large sum on a registration number. Some users defended the individual’s right to spend their money as they wish, while others criticized the extravagance, suggesting the funds could have been better spent on charitable causes.
“OMG, about 26 lakhs for a fancy number! Instead, I would have donated a 1BHK flat to a poor needy family. Bad luck for me because God did not make me rich,” commented one user.
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“What does it signify and why would someone spend such a huge amount? While everyone has the right to enjoy luxuries they can afford, spending such a large sum for self-ego or status—is that justified? Charity makes more sense,” wrote another user.
“Waste of money,” a third chimed in.
Interestingly, in August last year, the number ‘9999’ had fetched Rs 21.6 lakh.
The Road Transport Authority (RTA) managed to collect Rs 43 lakh from the auction of various fancy numbers.
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