Rolls-Royce driver’s apparent wealth sparks widespread interest in Australia
The Chinese community in Australia is closely following a case of a Rolls-Royce crash involving 23-year-old Lanlan Yang, amid rumours linking her to a wealthy family and even high-ranking officials in China.
Crashed S$835K Rolls-Royce into Mercedes-Benz while allegedly drunk
According to Australian outlet 9News, an allegedly intoxicated Yang crashed her AUD1 million (S$835,000) Rolls-Royce Cullinan into a Mercedes-Benz in the early hours of 26 July in Sydney.
Source: 9News
The driver of the Mercedes-Benz suffered severe injuries to his neck, back, and leg. Meanwhile, Yang walked away unscathed and allegedly refused to take a breath test at the police station.
Source: OnScene Bondi
She initially faced charges of misconduct causing bodily harm, and failing to provide a breath sample.
Stays in penthouse & owns a second Rolls-Royce
Yang was later granted conditional bail, with court orders preventing her from driving and requiring her to stay at her Sydney penthouse from 8pm to 6am daily. Her passport was also seized.
Source: 9News
Her lifestyle has fuelled speculation about her wealth. Yang reportedly owns two Rolls-Royces — the Cullinan involved in the crash and a white Rolls-Royce Ghost Convertible worth up to AUD800,000 (S$667,531), which remains unused in her garage.
Source: Daily Mail Australia
She is also said to live in a luxury eastern suburbs penthouse and decorates her car with rare Labubu toys.
Rumours about her wealth circulated on social media in China
Rumours about her family connections soon started circulating.
Some claim her father has ties to an Australian iron ore mine, while others suggest that her minders hold the rank of lieutenant colonel with the Beijing police special duty unit.
Wild claims about her fortune have also made rounds on Douyin and Weibo and have been reported by Chinese mainstream media, though the true source of her wealth remains a mystery.
Chinese Australians gathered outside court to catch a glimpse of her
On Friday (15 Aug), about 100 Chinese Australians gathered outside Downing Centre in Sydney, hoping to catch a glimpse of Yang.
Source: Daily Mail Australia
A few managed to enter the courtroom, where she made a brief videolink appearance wearing a bucket hat and tailored black suit.
Her lawyer, Mr Yu, said Yang could not enter a plea yet as police have indicated additional charges, and the case was adjourned to 26 Sept.
Local observers say the case has sparked huge interest among Chinese Australians, among whom many are curious about Yang’s identity and her source of wealth.
Source: News.au.com
“The question we focus on is, which top leader’s granddaughter or great-granddaughter is she? In China, many top families’ offspring immigrate to Australia,” said one court attendee.
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Man in Australia wakes up to see his wife stabbing their 3 children, mother charged with attempted murder
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Featured image adapted from Daily Mail and 9News.
Chinese community in Australia observing case of Rolls-Royce crash after driver linked to high-ranking official in China
