hollywood billionaire

Chapter 254 Monaco Yacht Show

What to do in Monaco?
Go to Monaco...what else to do?
Of course it's consumption.

This city-state located on the blue coastline and surrounded by France has been the first choice for the world's top elites to hide and sell gold since Prince Charles III signed a decree in 1869 to suspend personal income tax.

Monte Carlo, which was completed in 1861 and named by the prince in 1866, is just a symptom of luxury. What really attracts Monaco to the wealthy is its financial management strategy as the foundation of the country.

The entire Monaco tax system encourages capital transfer and income generation without imposing heavy taxes.

In other words, before the formation of the Zurich-Zug-Liechtenstein triangle, the first tax haven in the modern sense, in the mid-1920s, the Principality of Monaco was the pioneer land where princes, nobles, banking families and financial criminals met.

Today, after 150 years of capital operation and wealth accumulation, Monaco has become one of the countries with the highest per capita income in the world.According to United Nations statistics, Monaco’s per capita GDP is $234317, which is nearly $169260 higher than Liechtenstein’s $133745.Among the countries that have joined the International Monetary Fund, Luxembourg, which ranks first, has only $[-], which is more than $[-] less than Monaco.

Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that from a data perspective alone, the Principality of Monaco is the leading wealth gathering place in the world.

As the proverb that exists in both Chinese and English goes, great minds think alike, and heroes think alike.The vacation styles of the rich are also very similar.

From June to September every year, swarms of private jets gather on the French Riviera, with Nice, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Antibes, Menton and especially Monaco as the center points, heading towards this endless stretch of coast. The shoreline of the beach spreads out on either side.

The seaside city of Nice has become the ultimate tourist destination since it joined the First French Republic in the [-]th century. It focuses on outdoor experiences close to nature, including the Nice Triathlon Championship in June, the Nice Jazz Festival in July, and other events throughout the year. The year-round Alpes-Maritimes Marathon attracts not only a large number of North American lazy people who want to lie on the pebble beach all day long, but also extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world.

The former was wearing a large floral holiday suit, strolling leisurely along the world-famous Jelly Sea in Nice, and cheering for the marathon runners who were passing by and about to cross the finish line, forming a picture that seemed a bit abrupt at first glance. It’s a harmonious picture that’s interesting to think about.

Saint-Tropez, an hour and a half drive from Nice, is much smaller than the former with an international airport, but it is slightly better in terms of natural scenery and high-end tourism development. Nice, with a population of 37, is suitable for tourists visiting southern France for the first time. It has more activities, more restaurants, and more places to stay at different price points.Saint-Tropez, on the other hand, is the favorite of old moneymen who want to find a quiet place to stay and spend the hot summer in peace.

This small fishing village with a permanent population of less than 4000 people and a strong classical French style has now become the back garden of the rich that attracts worldwide attention.Byblos Beach Hotel, Lily of the Valley Hotel, Pand Palace Hotel, Mesadière Castle Hotel, La Réserve Saint-Tropez Palace Hotel, and Cheval Blanc, which has only five hotels in the world, are not many in number, but all of them are of high quality. To perfection.

Living in a super five-star resort that costs thousands of euros, and double that in peak season, there is only one activity that can attract the rich to leave the beachfront restaurants and private swimming pools, and that is sailing events.The Giralia Rolex Cup, a keel yacht race jointly organized by the Italian Yacht Club and the French Yacht Club, and The Voiles Latines, which selects the best Latin dhows, are both talked about by all kinds of European old money and allow them to display their family collections. famous stage.

As for Cannes, which is sandwiched between Saint-Tropez and Nice, although it has rare golden sand beaches on the Côte d'Azur, the scenery is actually not as good as the first two cities. In addition to the most concentrated shopping area in southern France, there are only five The Cannes Film Festival in March is worth mentioning.

There are indeed many celebrities and luxury cars during the film festival, but if you really want to see these things, you might as well go directly to Monaco.

"That's the real carnival playground for the rich."

"But when I say this, I don't mean to persuade you to come to Monaco for vacation every year, Mr. Han."

Sitting in a business car traveling directly from Nice Côte d'Azur Airport to the Paris Monte Carlo Hotel in Monaco, Antoine Gachet unbuttoned his suit jacket and explained to Han Yi, who was visiting the south of France for the first time.

9月27日晚上07:30从洛杉矶汤姆-布拉德利国际航站楼出发的G650ER，经过11个小时54分钟的飞行，于法国当地时间第二天下午五点24落地。航线申请不需要韩易操心，从汤姆-布拉德利国际航站楼起飞的流程也很顺利。而抵达尼斯之后，入境的程序更是简易到让他大跌眼镜。

Han Yi was originally a little worried about the length of time for European customs to enter. Antoine Gachet, who holds dual French and Swiss passports, does not need to worry. He can just take the EU resident fast track, but he holds a Chinese passport. According to According to normal procedures, Han Yi not only needs to apply for a Schengen visa in advance, but also has to wait in line with a large number of commercial flight passengers in the general aisle for several hours before he can see the face of the customs official.

According to the efficiency of Europeans, if we land at 05:30, we will be lucky if we can leave customs at [-] o'clock.

But Han Yi obviously underestimated the convenience of private jet travel, and also underestimated the considerate services provided by Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, the international airport that may receive the most private jets in the world, for the world's richest people.

The G650ER had just slid into the designated private jet ramp and parked in the reserved parking space under the guidance of the tower. Within 5 minutes, two French customs officials wearing dark blue jackets with the word "DOUANE" printed on the back arrived. Arrive at the boarding gate.They shook hands with the Jet Linx captain who was flying this route, checked the flight documents handed over by the captain, reviewed the crew list, and then briefly glanced at Antoine Gachet and Fiamoud Delvey. Xi and Han Yi's passports - Although it obviously took longer to look at Han Yi's passport, he was surprised to find that these customs officials didn't even bother to turn over the Schengen visa page. They checked the names and waved to let them go.

The entire so-called "customs entry process" takes less than 3 minutes.

Antoine Gachet told him that even in Nice, even if a private plane arrived, such a speed of entry could be regarded as breaking his previous experience record.

The reasons are nothing more than two points. First, the end of September is already the end of the Côte d'Azur tourist season. Most private planes fly out, not in. Like him, he came to participate in the same private flight for the same event, two days. There are not twenty in total.

After all, even wealthy people who could afford private jets or partial ownership of private jets would rarely bother to attend that exhibition.

For those who have participated, it is difficult for them to come again.

Second, it was a G650ER that brought Han Yi from North America to Europe.

There are dozens of private jets, large and small, on the tarmac, and his is the most expensive.

In September 7500, when the Bombardier Global 2016 had not yet been delivered, it was realistically impossible to surpass Han Yi in terms of price.

You can't buy anything more luxurious.

Ordinary customs for commercial flights follow a first-come, first-served basis, but customs for private airlines do not have this rule for boarding and inspection. Whoever seems to be more valuable will be served first. This is common practice and common sense.

Three parking spots away from them, the Falcon 900, which had arrived from Doha half an hour earlier, was still waiting there.

Compared with the super VIP treatment when they landed, Han Yi and his party's travel level in terms of ground transportation was obviously much more ordinary. They put four suitcases on a metallic black Mercedes-Benz V-class business car at the arrival gate and went directly to the airport. Rush to Monaco, which is half an hour away.

The Mercedes-Benz V-Class sounds very good, but in fact, there are countless Mercedes-Benz taxis and airport pick-ups in the streets and alleys of Europe. If you order a car randomly on Uber, there is a high probability that it will be a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW, no matter how bad it is. Opel's high-end model.It’s not a surprise to get a brand new Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan when you place an Uber Black order.

In order to occupy the local market, these European car brands will launch some special models specifically for taxi operations. Although seat heating, sunroofs, multimedia displays, USB interfaces, and rear airbags are all available, more than one engine is omitted. grade.The price of a normal Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Europe after options is about 75000 euros, while the taxi model only costs less than 50000 euros.

Therefore, transportation to and from a Mercedes-Benz is completely different in North America than in Europe. The Mercedes-Benz V-Class arranged by Antoine Gachet in advance cost less than 60 euros from Nice International Airport to Monaco.Normal families, as long as they have more than three large boxes, will choose to call a Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle to experience the super cost-effectiveness that cannot be experienced in other parts of the world.

But Han Yi didn't care about this. He had to outdo others in everything, and he had to be special and higher-end than others. That was something only people with extreme insecurities would do.At this moment, Han Yi, whose total real estate value has already exceeded [-] million US dollars, has lost interest in the details that these new rich people may be particularly concerned about.

Forget about the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, just ask him to buy a Lime electric scooter at the airport and skate all the way to Monaco.

Oh……

In 2016, there was no such company as Lime.

But the meaning is that, as long as the heart is strong enough, there is no need for these illusory disguises.

Han Yi knew very well what he came to Monaco to consume.

Anyone who knew his true intentions would never have any second emotion other than admiration.

"Don't you want to persuade me?"

Thinking of this, Han Yi looked back at Nice Airport, which had long been covered by the horizon and disappeared, and answered casually.

"But you have already said good things about Monaco all the way." "To be honest, it is not a good word. Just because there are many rich people here does not mean that it is suitable for rich people. Especially people like you who don't like noisy and flashy environments. A hermit." Antoine Gachet took off the beret he never left his body all year round, dusted off the dust, and put it back on his sparse head. "I came here several times for work, but every time I don’t want to stay here for the next day...it’s congested and noisy. No matter where you live, you can hear the roar of sports cars at night.”

"When did I become a hermit?" Han Yi laughed dumbly, "How could a hermit move to Bel Air?"

"Gambling, nightclubs, racing, and soliciting are the four major entertainment activities in Monaco. Which one do you like?"

"...None of them."

In fact, I really like the fourth activity, but there is no need to say it out loud.

"So, you have no problem coming here to spend money. Most of the top luxury toys in Europe, whether they are moving or not, are gathered here... But if you really want to go on vacation, like I said, Azure There are only two places to go on the coast. If you like the liveliness, go to Nice, and if you like a quieter time, go to Saint-Tropez. If you are tired of looking at the sea level, go north to the mountains of Burgundy and taste the best French cuisine. If you want good food If it doesn’t attract you, then go east to Switzerland and Lucerne.”

Having said this, Antoine put his fingers together and placed them on his lips for a gentle kiss.

"The most beautiful place in the world, bar none."

“Especially the mountaintop view from the Bürgenstock Hotel… Mamma Mia.”

"Will the scenery there make you Italian?" Han Yi joked.

"The scenery there can make anyone become Italian. Because it is difficult to become Swiss, we can only settle for the second best and become Italians who share the same mountain range... After all, Lake Como is not bad either." Anto Wan laughed and patted his knees, "Next time you come to Europe, I have to take you there. Lucerne and Lake Como, these two places are the continent in people's minds."

"Why not go this time?" Han Yi asked, "It's just a purchase, and it won't take a few days."

Just buying something...?

What an understatement for something like eight figures in euros.

"Because the hotel in Lucerne is being renovated...it has been renovated for eight years and will not reopen until next year." Antoine explained, "The Bürgenstock Hotel opened in the 1870s. Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer got married there. Sophia Loren and her husband lived in one of the cabins for seven years. For seven years, can you imagine how beautiful the scenery there is?"

“In 2008, Katara Hotels Group, a sovereign fund wholly owned by the Qatari government, bought the Bürgenstock Hotel—I was the one who brokered the deal—and then they poured [-] million Swiss dollars into it. Franc for in-situ reconstruction.”

"Five hundred million Swiss francs..." Han Yi was immediately attracted by this number.

A private jet costs only US$7000 million at full specifications.

The cost of repairing and rebuilding a luxury hotel can actually reach [-] million?Or Swiss franc?

Compared with the consumption that is about to be completed, it seems that investing in similar top-level real estate is more in line with his future capital needs?
And if it is run properly, it can continue to generate revenue.

Compared with expensive toys that are discounted every year and require huge amounts of money to maintain, they are much more expensive, but also much more affordable.

Expensive and affordable may sound like antonyms, but in Han Yi, they can be considered in harmony.

"Yes, [-] million." Antoine Jiashe glanced at Han Yi and didn't think much about it.He thought that Han Yi's thoughtfulness was just a simple surprise at the scale of investment. "The entire hotel industry is waiting for Bürgenstock to reopen. It will become a milestone of this era."

"What about Lake Como?" Han Yi asked, the interest of the conversation was obviously much higher than 2 minutes ago. "What are some good luxury resorts in Lake Como, Italy?"

"Passaracqua, Tremeso, Lario Estate, Victoria Relais Estate, and Dest Estate are all pretty good. Lake Como was originally a summer resort for wealthy people, and it can continue to operate here for a long time. , it definitely has its own uniqueness.”

"Is there any one for sale?"

"What is...what?"

Antoine suspected that he had heard wrongly.

I haven’t seen anything I want to buy here yet. Are you considering buying a manor again?

"It's okay, I'm just asking casually." Han Yi waved his hand and lightly dismissed this casual topic, "But if you have time, you can go and play for a day or two."

Go to the field to investigate the situation first, if appropriate...

Monaco and Lake Como, this trip to Europe was all in one place.

This is not just Han Yi's daytime chatter. During this period, he did have an extremely strong demand for consumption and cash rebates.

This demand does not originate from his original intention, but as the development plan accelerates, there is an urgent need to fill the funding gap.

Han Music Group needs money for further development.

The launch of the Apple Music festival program requires money.

The Circus Circus acquisition package in Las Vegas requires money.

Madison Bill also needs money.

It wasn't Madison himself who needed further funding, exactly.

But as "Cold Water" reached the top of the charts, opportunities and artists came knocking on their doorstep.

Among the olive branches extended to her by Lana Del Rey, who also belonged to an artist management company, there was a key point that others didn't understand, but Han Yi was keenly aware of.

That is another veteran artist who has confirmed his intention to cooperate in this single.

Lead singer of the legendary band Fleetwood Mac.

A music industry icon who was active in the same era as Bob Dylan.

He was also the first among the past superstars to embrace the new wave and sell all their music copyrights.

Stevie Nicks.

(End of this chapter)