Flamboyant billionaire Jho Low is back in the news with another story of an extravagant but futile attempt at wooing the heart of a major celebrity.

NONE Taiwanese newspaper Apple Daily broke the news after coming across a video recording reportedly documenting Low's proposal.

His target - famous Taiwanese mandopop singer Elva Hsiao.

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NONE The daily cites a video uploaded a year ago to video-sharing site, vimeo.com, by British-based professional photographer Peter Rear.

Titled 'Atlantis Engagement, Dubai', the video does not mention who the two subjects are but contains a caption stating: ‘Surprise engagement proposal rumoured to cost of £1m (RM4.9 million).'

The rumoured cost is of little surprise as the event took place on a private beach at pricey hotel resort Atlantis, The Palm - the most famous hotel on the island of Palm Jumeirah, off Dubai.

Rear's 5-minute 27-second video depicts the couple arriving in a black Rolls-Royce and strolling to the beach, where candles are laid out in a gigantic Valentine heart.

The couple, holding each other, then proceed to dine on an luxurious set - claimed to be the work of Dubai's architectural and interior design firm Ali Bakhtiar Designs - as a laser show outlines the couple's silhouette.

Singer is moved to tears, but...

The couple enjoy their meal while being serenaded by a harpist and a violinist. It is no ordinary violin either, for it is studded with what appears to be precious stones.

NONE Breaking the romantic tone, several parachutists descend from the sky and land on the beach to present Hsiao with jewellery made by Swiss luxury brand Chopard.

By then, Hsiao is moved to tears.

However, the outrageous extravagance was reportedly not enough to move Hsiao's heart.

Apple Daily says it understands that Hsiao ( right ), 33, rejected the proposal and only saw Low, 31, as a "little brother".

NONE The newspaper also reported that a spokesperson had denied claims that Low had proposed to Hsiao at the event, stressing that it was just a "romantic dinner".

Penang-born Low, who is reportedly part of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's inner circle , is best known for his attempts to woo American socialite Paris Hilton and hard partying habits with his A-list friends in the United States.

Low, whose real name is Low Taek Jho, is the son of a Penang tycoon who reportedly has close links with Middle Eastern investors.

Locally, he is reportedly involved with the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) - now known as the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) - and UBG Bhd, which is owned by the family of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

NONE The chubby-looking Low got into the media spotlight two years ago after reports about his extravagant partying with controversial Hollywood actress Paris Hilton ( left ) hit the front pages of newspapers, local and around the world.

 

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