UAE: Winner of gold Tesla Cybertruck plans to sell car, prefers to 'live simply'
Would you sell a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck if you won it in a raffle, or would you drive it like a king on the UAE's roads?
Well, the winner of the Tesla gold-plated car at the new Dubai Gold Souk Extension is planning to sell his car. 'I want to live a simple life,' said Someswararao Mungi, the 38-year-old fintech professional from India who walked away with the region's first 24K gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck.
Luck changed for Mungi when he decided to shift his shopping destination from the Mina Bazaar to the Dubai Gold Souk Extension for jewellery. What started as a casual visit turned into a life-altering moment when he received the golden keys to one of the most extravagant electric vehicles ever.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
'I had not shopped at the Gold Souk Extension before. We usually go to Mina Bazaar, but this time, we went there unexpectedly. We first bought a mangalsutra for my wife and two earrings for my daughter. A few days later, we returned to buy a necklace,' said Mungi.
After shopping for gold, Mungi did not submit the coupon, and his submission was a last-minute decision. 'The draw was closing on a Monday and I submitted my coupon the night before, on a Sunday, in December 2024. The very next day, the submission closed. I never imagined I would actually win.'
Originally from Andhra Pradesh, India, Mungi has been living in the UAE since 2021, working as an engineer and professional service consultant for Swift Network. Winning a Tesla Cybertruck coated in pure gold is a fantasy for many, but for Mungi, he believes that the vehicle maintenance cost is high.
'I initially thought about keeping it, but the cost of maintaining such a luxury car is just too high,' he said. 'Having such a car should also complement your lifestyle and I prefer to live simply.'
Even when the key was handed over to him last Friday, he couldn't believe it. 'I was in doubt even after receiving the key,' he said.
The gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck is still on display at the Gold Souk Extension, waiting for its rightful owner to take it home, or in Mungi's case, to sell it.
'I don't know the actual value of the car, since it's gold-plated. I am looking for a buyer, and the lucky person who buys it can take it straight from the Gold Souk Extension.'
While Mungi remains practical, his wife is more excited than he is. 'She was overjoyed when we won. Now, the key is with me, and I am just waiting for the right offer.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
9 hours ago
- The National
Will Donald Trump forgive Elon Musk after 'regrets' post?
Mercurial tech tycoon Elon Musk retracted some of his criticism of President Donald Trump early Wednesday morning, after the Tesla chief and the US leader had a public falling out last week. "I regret some of my posts about President Trump last week," he posted to X, the social media platform he owns. "They went too far." Given the range of posts directed at Mr Trump last week, it is not entirely clear which ones he is sorry for. Several days ago, however, Mr Musk did delete one of the more controversial posts in which he claimed Mr Trump was named in the Epstein files and that was why he had not released them. The documents, which have not been made fully public, concern the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and have long been the subject of speculation by Trump supporters, who have demanded their full release in the belief that they contain the names of high-ranking Democrats. Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply any wrongdoing. Last week, shortly after Mr Musk announced his plans to step away from his role in the Trump administration, he used his social media platform to blast Mr Trump's much touted 'big, beautiful' tax bill, describing it as a 'disgusting abomination' that would blow up the national debt. The abrupt turn against Mr Trump's signature legislation came after the disintegration of the partnership between the two men that lasted more than a year and saw Mr Musk donate hundreds of millions of dollars to Mr Trump's presidential campaign. Many argue that crucial funding was the difference between victory and defeat for Mr Trump, who faced off against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who was then vice president. After Mr Trump's win, Mr Musk's remit was to cut federal waste through the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. But within the first few months of the Trump administration, reports indicated Mr Musk's presence had begun to grate with the President. Some have argued that the partnership began to fracture when Mr Trump's advocacy for tariffs put a strain on the various entrepreneurial endeavours of Mr Musk. Mr Trump also sought to cease electric vehicle subsidies that had previously boosted Tesla's bottom line. Regardless, as of last week, there appeared to be no love lost between the two men, both of whom have a large social media presence. After the series of posts to X by Mr Musk, Mr Trump alleged that the Tesla chief had "lost his mind". So while it's unclear what caused the sudden, quasi-apology from Mr Musk, it probably all comes down to money. Mr Trump had posted to his own social media platform, Truth Social, that as a result of Mr Musk betraying him, he would try to halt all federal contracts with his various companies, such as Starlink, SpaceX and others. If that comes to fruition, Mr Musk could lose billions. Last week's posts also hurt the already wounded Tesla, whose stock dropped after Mr Musk began his tirade. Tesla has since recovered most of the value lost. On Wednesday morning, it was up more than 2 per cent shortly after the opening bell. What many are still wondering, however, is whether Mr Trump will forgive Mr Musk. He has yet to post anything in response, and it should be pointed out that Mr Musk has not exactly changed his mind and endorsed Mr Trump's tax and spending bill, seen as the culmination of many of the President's campaign promises.
The National
16 hours ago
- The National
Will Trump forgive Elon Musk after 'regrets' post?
Mercurial tech tycoon Elon Musk retracted some of his criticism of President Donald Trump early Wednesday morning, after the Tesla chief and the US leader had a public falling out last week. "I regret some of my posts about President Trump last week," he posted to X, the social media platform he owns. "They went too far." Given the range of posts directed at Mr Trump last week, it is not entirely clear which ones he is sorry for. Several days ago, however, Mr Musk did delete one of the more controversial posts in which he claimed Mr Trump was named in the Epstein files and that was why he had not released them. The documents, which have not been made fully public, concern the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and have long been the subject of speculation by Trump supporters, who have demanded their full release in the belief that they contain the names of high-ranking Democrats. Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply any wrongdoing. Last week, shortly after Mr Musk announced his plans to step away from his role in the Trump administration, he used his social media platform to blast Mr Trump's much touted 'big, beautiful' tax bill, describing it as a 'disgusting abomination' that would blow up the national debt. The abrupt turn against Mr Trump's signature legislation came after the disintegration of the partnership between the two men that lasted more than a year and saw Mr Musk donate hundreds of millions of dollars to Mr Trump's presidential campaign. Many argue that crucial funding was the difference between victory and defeat for Mr Trump, who faced off against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who was then vice president. After Mr Trump's win, Mr Musk's remit was to cut federal waste through the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. But within the first few months of the Trump administration, reports indicated Mr Musk's presence had begun to grate with the President. Some have argued that the partnership began to fracture when Mr Trump's advocacy for tariffs put a strain on the various entrepreneurial endeavours of Mr Musk. Mr Trump also sought to cease electric vehicle subsidies that had previously boosted Tesla's bottom line. Regardless, as of last week, there appeared to be no love lost between the two men, both of whom have a large social media presence. After the series of posts to X by Mr Musk, Mr Trump alleged that the Tesla chief had "lost his mind". So while it's unclear what caused the sudden, quasi-apology from Mr Musk, it probably all comes down to money. Mr Trump had posted to his own social media platform, Truth Social, that as a result of Mr Musk betraying him, he would try to halt all federal contracts with his various companies, such as Starlink, SpaceX and others. If that comes to fruition, Mr Musk could lose billions. Last week's posts also hurt the already wounded Tesla, whose stock dropped after Mr Musk began his tirade. Tesla has since recovered most of the value lost. On Wednesday morning, it was up more than 2 per cent shortly after the opening bell. What many are still wondering, however, is whether Mr Trump will forgive Mr Musk. He has yet to post anything in response, and it should be pointed out that Mr Musk has not exactly changed his mind and endorsed Mr Trump's tax and spending bill, seen as the culmination of many of the President's campaign promises.
Zawya
18 hours ago
- Zawya
Musk says some of his posts about Trump 'went too far'
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk said on Wednesday he regretted some of the posts he made last week about U.S. President Donald Trump as they had gone "too far". Trump said on Saturday his relationship with Musk was over after they exchanged insults on social media, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO describing the president's sweeping tax and spending bill as a "disgusting abomination." Musk has since deleted some posts critical of Trump, including one signaling support for impeaching the president, and sources close to the world's richest man say his anger has started to subside and he may want to repair the relationship. "I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far," Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X on Wednesday, without saying which specific posts he was talking about. Tesla shares rose 2.3% in pre-market trading after Musk's post, with some market analysts seeing signs that the relationship between Musk and Trump can improve again. Shawn Campbell, adviser and investor at Camelthorn Investments, said Trump's administration included people who had in the past said "some pretty nasty things" about him. "So clearly this relationship can be restored, just likely not to where it once was," said Campbell, who personally holds Tesla shares. "The stakes between the richest man in the world and leader of the most powerful nation in the world are just so big, with billions of dollars of government contracts at stake, not to mention the power to investigate and regulate and tax." BIG DONOR Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, spending nearly $300 million in last year's U.S. elections and taking credit for Republicans retaining a majority of seats in the House and retaking a majority in the Senate. Trump then named him to head an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. Musk left the role late last month after criticizing Trump's marquee tax bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work at the Department of Government Efficiency. Declaring their relationship over on Saturday, Trump said there would be "serious consequences" if Musk decided to fund U.S. Democrats running against Republicans who vote for the tax and spending bill. Trump also said he had no intention of repairing ties with Musk. On Monday, Trump said he would not have a problem if Musk called and that he had no plans to discontinue the Starlink satellite internet provided to the White House by Musk's SpaceX but might move his Tesla off-site. "We had a good relationship, and I just wish him well," Trump said. Musk responded with a heart emoji to a video on X showing Trump's remarks. Tesla shares have recouped all the losses they suffered during the public feuding between Trump and Musk last Thursday, when more than $150 billion was wiped off the company's market value. (Reporting Arpan Daniel Varghese, Akash Sriram, Sruthi Shankar and Gursimran Kaur; Writing by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru and Timothy Heritage, Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
