It literally started raining money in Hong Kong over the weekend when a so-called Bitcoin millionaire decided that his generosity knows no bounds.
Cryptocurrency aficionados can be a little eccentric, at least in the public eye where Bitcoin is still viewed as something intangible by many. These views may be been reaffirmed on Saturday when a wealthy crypto investor started dispensing bank notes from the top of a tower block in an apparent publicity stunt.
Reports emerged on Saturday that a hooded man had been spotted in the working-class district of Sham Shui Po saying money was about to be thrown from the rooftops. Bills worth thousands of Hong Kong dollars were then seen fluttering to the ground from the top of a building. Officers were deployed to the scene and told the public not to collect the money but the lure of free money proved too much and the gathering crowd quickly went into a money-grabbing frenzy.
Initially, the source of the money stream was unknown but it soon emerged on Twitter and Facebook that is was from Wong Ching-kit, the owner of the Epoch Cryptocurrency, a Facebook page that promotes digital currencies.
Epoch’s Facebook page carried this cryptic message. “I hope everyone here will pay attention to this important event … [I] don’t know whether any of you will believe money can fall from the sky.”
Wong, known online as “Coin Young Master,” said in the Facebook post that he wanted to “help the poor by robbing the rich” and an accompanying video of the act showed the frenzy and also Wong attempting to leave the now blocked Sham Shui Po streets in a red Lamborghini sports car.
Wong, who has been accused in the past on social media of being involved with a number of crypto pyramid schemes, was, according to Channel News Asia, arrested after his Robin Hood antics, for “disorderly conduct in a public place”. Channel News Asia says Wong also live-streamed his arrest on Facebook.
Police said they had recovered about HK$6,000 (US$800) in HK$100 bills and have asked the public to hand over any other notes that were found fluttering through the air in Kowloon on Saturday.