Chinese Man Buys Rs 1.8 Crore Mercedes-Maybach For Ride-Hailing, Earns Rs 45,000 In A Day

News18

25-04-2025

Last Updated:
Yuan bought the Maybach on November 1 last year and began recording videos to show how he plans to recover the investment.
A man in China is grabbing attention for using a luxury Maybach car to offer ride-hailing services. The unusual choice has sparked debate online as were many curious about how such an expensive car can be used for regular bookings. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the man, surnamed Yuan, spent 1.55 million yuan (approximately Rs 1.81 crore) on a Maybach S480 and started using it for ride-hailing in Beijing. He shared his daily experiences on his social media account called 'Old Yuan Drives a Maybach for Ride-Hailing." There he has close to 1.2 lakh followers.
As per the report, Yuan is 30 years old and comes from Henan province in northern China. He has been driving luxury cars for ride-hailing services in Beijing since 2019. He bought the Maybach on November 1 last year and began recording videos to show how he plans to recover the investment.
In one of the videos, Yuan said he started his day at 6:45 AM and secured a full-day booking. He was able to earn 4,000 yuan (over Rs 46,000) from that one client.
'Let's go! Driving a luxury Maybach ride-hailing car is not only my job but also my livelihood. Currently, the Maybach model can only be specifically ordered for ride-hailing in Beijing and Shanghai," he said in the video as quoted by SCMP. 'It is uncertain when it will be available in other cities, so please watch rationally," he added.
Speaking to local media, Yuan explained that he made a down payment of 680,000 yuan (around Rs 79.4 lakh) for the car. Out of that, 500,000 yuan (Rs 58.4 lakh) came from savings he had built up over six years in the business. The rest was covered by a five-year loan which requires him to pay around 14,466 yuan (Rs 1.68 lakh) every month.
Despite the high cost of owning and running a luxury car, Yuan says he is able to save close to 10,000 yuan (over Rs 1 lakh) every month. His fuel costs are about 3,000 yuan (Rs 35,000), food expenses come to 2,000–3,000 yuan, and rent is 4,500 yuan (around Rs 52,000).
'I still have some savings left. The best part is that I get to drive a Maybach at only 30 and still save close to 10,000 yuan a month," said Yuan.
His story has triggered a lot of reactions online. Some people wondered if he was actually rich or just good at handling money. Others were shocked by the high fares and said they can't imagine ever riding in such an expensive car. For example, one user said that for a 5.5 km ride in an S-class Mercedes, the fare rounds up to 300 yuan (Rs 3,500).