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| People looking at a Aston Martin One-77 Coupe (2011) in front of a Ferrari LaFerrari (2015), yellow, and a Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Coupe (2010), blue, part of some 25 luxury cars owned by Teodoro Obiang, the son of the Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo are pictured before an auction of sales house Bonhams at the Bonmont Abbey Golf & Country Club in Cheserex near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. A collection of luxury cars from Equatorial Guinea’s vice president Teodorin Obiang Nguema confiscated by the Geneva prosecutor’s office after a deal ending a money-laundering inquiry, are auctioned off in Switzerland and are estimated to bring in 18.5 million Swiss francs. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)
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A collection of 25 supercars seized from Equatorial Guinea’s vice president as part of a Swiss money-laundering probe fetched nearly $27 million (£22.18 million) at an auction held by Bonhams on Sunday.
A 2014 white Lamborghini Veneno Roadster sold for 8.28 million francs (£6.80 million) including commission, about 50% more than its pre-sale estimate, in heavy three-way bidding.
“The top lot of the collection and rarest of all, one of only nine built and introduced for the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini,” said James Knight, group chairman of Bonhams Motoring Department, as he opened bidding.
The buyer was anonymous, but the saleroom burst into applause as the hammer came down at the event in a 12th-century abbey in the grounds of Bonmont golf and country club in the village of Cheserex, 30 km (19 miles) from Geneva.
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| A Lamborghini Veneno Roadster (2014), part of a collection of luxury cars owned by Teodoro Obiang, the son of the Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and confiscated by the Geneva prosecutor’s office after a deal ending a money-laundering inquiry, is pictured during an auction preview of Bonhams at the Bonmont Golf & Country Club in Cheserex near Geneva, Switzerland September 27, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse |
Geneva prosecutors said in February that they had closed an inquiry into Teodoro Nguema Obiang for money laundering and misappropriation of public assets with an arrangement to sell the cars to fund social programmes in west African state.
Known as Teodorin, he is the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has ruled Equatorial Guinea for 40 years. Rights groups label his administration as one the world’s most corrupt.
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| FILE – This Tuesday, March 5, 2013 file photo shows the new Lamborghini Veneno during the first media day of the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show, Switzerland. On Sunday, Sept. 28, 2019, an auction house in Switzerland is set to sell 25 luxury cars including Ferraris, Rolls-Royces and a Lamborghini Veneno that Geneva authorities seized from the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president in a money-laundering probe. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, file) |
A Reuters tally of official hammer prices, VAT and 15% commission, showed a total of 26.93 million francs.
A 2011 Aston Martin One-77 Coupe, which Knight described as an “absolute rocket ship”, went for 1.55 million francs.
“Proceeds are for charity,” he said.
A black 2015 Koenigsegg One-1 fetched 4.6 million francs.
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| People looking at a 2015 Koenigsegg One:1 model car in front of a Aston Martin One-77 Coupe (2011), red, Ferrari LaFerrari (2015), yellow, and a Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Coupe (2010), blue, part of some 25 luxury cars owned by Teodoro Obiang, the son of the Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo are pictured before an auction of sales house Bonhams at the Bonmont Abbey Golf & Country Club in Cheserex near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. A collection of luxury cars from Equatorial Guinea’s vice president Teodorin Obiang Nguema confiscated by the Geneva prosecutor’s office after a deal ending a money-laundering inquiry, are auctioned off in Switzerland and are estimated to bring in 18.5 million Swiss francs. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP) |
A Swiss bidder told Reuters that an agent for a collector in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, had bought several supercars.
A grey armoured 1998 Rolls Royce Silver Spur in need of repair – and described by Knight as “perfect for someone who doesn’t have any friends or has enemies” – went for 86,250 francs.
A 1956 Aston Martin Lagonda, owned by the late Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival, was among 50 other cars that found new owners.
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| People looking at a Aston Martin One-77 Coupe (2011) in front of a Ferrari LaFerrari (2015), yellow, and a Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Coupe (2010), blue, part of some 25 luxury cars owned by Teodoro Obiang, the son of the Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo are pictured before an auction of sales house Bonhams at the Bonmont Abbey Golf & Country Club in Cheserex near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. A collection of luxury cars from Equatorial Guinea’s vice president Teodorin Obiang Nguema confiscated by the Geneva prosecutor’s office after a deal ending a money-laundering inquiry, are auctioned off in Switzerland and are estimated to bring in 18.5 million Swiss francs. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP) |
The Rolling Stones, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury rode in the vintage vehicle, the catalogue said.
Thierry Amsallem, Nob’s partner and heir, attended the sale and bought a white 2007 Bentley Azure Decapotable from Obiang’s collection for 112,125 francs.
“It is like new, just 843 miles on it. We’ll use it to drive around performers,” Amsallem, chair of the Claude Nobs Foundation, told Reuters.
