A notorious Chinese cryptocurrency figure has been arrested after throwing stacks of HK $100 ($12) bills from the rooftop of a building in one of Hong Kong’s poorest districts.
Self-styled Bitcoin millionaire Wong Ching-Kit announced the bizarre stunt via Facebook. In the post, he declared money would soon be “falling from the sky.”
Sure enough, Wong proceeded to rain cash on Kowloon streets on Saturday, causing havoc as citizens reportedly became frenzied in the rush to collect as many free bills as possible.
It’s currently unclear just how much money was thrown, notes South China Morning Post. Police were able to seize HK $6,000 ($770), confirming at least some of the bills to be legitimate.
Wong runs a rather dubious Facebook page geared towards cryptocurrency investors. It often features outlandish advertisements for various initial coin offerings and blockchain projects.
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It should be noted this Robin Hood-esque stunt is no different – it was all part of a guerilla marketing campaign for a new cryptocurrency.
He was also reportedly scheduled to hand out meal coupons at a local restaurant nearby the next day. Before he had the chance, authorities swiftly apprehended Wong stepping out of a luxury car. At the time, police did not provide a reason for his arrest.
Authorities also haven’t ruled out making more arrests over the incident, with chief inspector Kevin Chong Kiu-wai adding the stunt certainly could have involved more than one person.
Unfortunately for those who managed to scoop up some of the free loot, police warned that by simply collecting it, they could be breaking the law. Chong then urged the public to hand over any money they may have picked up.
Party poopers.
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