• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
Rolls-Royce

A Guy in Dubai Spent $9 Million on a License Plate for His Rolls-Royce

By
Tekendra Parmar
Tekendra Parmar
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tekendra Parmar
Tekendra Parmar
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 1, 2016, 1:51 AM ET
A classic Rolls Royce.
Ron Sanford—Getty Images / Science Source
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Dubai-based Indian property developer Balwinder Sahni considers himself “a simple man”—his two Rolls-Royce (RYCEY) cars with single digit license plates not withstanding.

According to the Independent, Sahni paid $9 million during a government auction for a highly coveted number “5” license plate. He is one of several high-rollers in the United Arab Emirates doling out large sums of cash for single digit license plates.

This guy was so happy after winning at an auction for license plates. It cost 33million dirhams….. And he was happy with the win. pic.twitter.com/rD1IyATV5c

— 104.8 Channel 4 (@channel4dubai) October 9, 2016

This isn’t even Sahni’s first. According to CNN, he spent $6.7 million to obtain a number “9” plate in a government auction last year.

For United Arab Emirates high-rollers, a single digit license plate is a must have https://t.co/8DXWoCchhh

— CNN Business (@CNNBusiness) October 31, 2016

Although, Sahni’s payments are quite large, they pale in comparison to the $14 million an Abu Dhabi businessman paid at a charity auction for a license plate baring the number “1” in 2008.

For Sahni, the money he spends is a form of charity—in a country with no income tax—he sees his contribution to the UAE government auctions as a public service.

“I believe in giving back,” he told CNN. “This city has given me a lot.”

For more on luxury cars, watch Fortune’s video:

A secondary market has also emerged to satisfy the desire of rich Emiratis looking to get their hands on unique license plates.

One such website, numbers.ae, sold a two digit plate for $735,000—its biggest deal yet. (At the time of writing, the website has a number “8” plate listed for an undisclosed sum.)

The website’s co-founder Abdulkerim Arsanov hopes to capitalize on this renewed interest in luxury license plates with hopes to expand into markets in the U.S. and Russia.

“Number plates have become more luxurious than the cars themselves,” Arsanov told CNN.

About the Author
By Tekendra Parmar
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

idaho
EnvironmentImmigration
Deep-red Idaho just realized Trump’s immigration policy is lethal for its $20 billion dairy industry
By Lisa Meierotto, Matthew May, Rebecca Som Castellano and The ConversationJune 26, 2026
25 minutes ago
AI is overwhelming our senses—Edward Enninful has an answer for that 
EuropeLetter from London
AI is overwhelming our senses—Edward Enninful has an answer for that 
By Kamal AhmedJune 26, 2026
53 minutes ago
kid
SuccessSocial Media
Kids want to be influencers when they grow up, because they ‘gets lots of money’ and ‘they want to be famous’
By Matthew Simoneau and The ConversationJune 26, 2026
1 hour ago
spiegel
Personal Financephilanthropy
Snap’s Evan Spiegel joins MacKenzie Scott in the billionaire race to erase medical debt—wiping out $550 million for 260,000 Californians
By Nick LichtenbergJune 26, 2026
2 hours ago
heat
EnvironmentHeat
It could be more dangerous inside your house during a heat wave
By The Conversation and Zoltan NagyJune 26, 2026
2 hours ago
cuban
AIJobs
Everyone agrees that you hate AI, but only Mark Cuban sees why Silicon Valley is powerless to fix it
By Nick LichtenbergJune 26, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
1 day ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
2 days ago
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
Success
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 25, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 25, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 25, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 25, 2026
21 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Thursday, June 25, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Thursday, June 25, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 25, 2026
21 hours ago
Trump turns on Big Oil donors who spent nearly $100 million to get him elected—now he wants the DOJ to investigate them for price gouging
Economy
Trump turns on Big Oil donors who spent nearly $100 million to get him elected—now he wants the DOJ to investigate them for price gouging
By Tristan BoveJune 25, 2026
13 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.