A pair of rival billionaires set a new world record Thursday night at Les Caves du Roy nightclub in St. Tropez with an East vs. West contest to see who could order the most champagne.
Zhen Low — the younger brother of big-spending Malaysian billionaire Jho Low — squared off against Winston Fisher of the prominent New York real-estate family. At the end of the night, Low was the “winner.” The bill? A staggering 2 million euros, or $2.6 million, according to an announcement made at the club.
Witnessing the revelry/rivalry were Thor Equities CEO Joseph Sitt, SBE CEO Sam Nazarian and Paris Hilton, who helped Jho Low celebrate his 28th birthday last year at a four-day party in Las Vegas.
The Low brothers are third-generation members of a distinguished Penang-based family involved in industries ranging from real estate to high-tech across the world.
Baby-faced, bespectacled Jho is known to New York club-owners for regularly racking up six-figure bar tabs by ordering dozens of $900 bottles of Cristal Champagne.
It’s Fleet Week in St. Tropez, and the port is backed up with flashy yachts and their flashy owners. “If somebody with money, particularly brand-new money, wants to get noticed by the Euro jet set, this is the time and place to be seen,” said one observer.
On Wednesday, Denise Rich will stage her annual dinner aboard her yacht, Lady Joy. The guest list of 250 celebrities reads like the Cote d’Azur Hall of Fame: George Hamilton, Regine, Jean Pigozzi, Joan Collins and Count Eric Wachtmeister, and Adnan and Lamia Khashoggi.
Roberto and Joanne DeGuardiola will pop over from their sleek yacht, Audacia, and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman and wife Christine will descend from their villa in the nearby foothills.
Denise has hired local singing sensations the Gypsy Queens, described as “four gorgeous guys,” to help sell tables to her Oct. 21 Angel Ball in New York.