SHY MILLIONAIRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21520, 17 June 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

SHY MILLIONAIRE

MAHARAJA'S RICHES VALUED AT OVER £100,000,000 The world's shyest millionaire was in Loudon recently. He is 2'2 years old, the ruler of 6,000,000 people, and his fortune, including his magnificent jewels, is estimated to be over €100,000,000. " But his Highness the Maharaja of Jaipur is so shy," writes a Sunday Chronicle representative. " One of his relatives, the Has Rajah Abey Singh, presented me to him at his hotel. He is tall, broad-shouldered, and good looking. Turning from the showcase of jjailv coloured silk ties and handkerchiefs into which the young Maharaja was gazing he gripped my hand, smiled, and bowed. Then he stood fidgeting with his red and white spotted tie. " Has Rajah Abey Singh will tell you anything you want to know," he said.

The Maharaja of .Jaipur, with a team of four, 40 polo ponies, and 40 native grooms arrived in England to plav polo. The ponies and their attendants came over in a specially chartered steamer. " His Highness values his ponies at £IOOO each. He is a very keen player himself, and plays a fast dashinc game at full back. He is paying all the expenses of the trip," said the Ras Rajah. "His famous jewels are kept in his palace, which contains more glass than vour Crystal Palace here.

" But he is a very modern young man and bis people are happy because he is building hospitals which boast the most up-to-date equipment, schools, and colleges throught the State. Gradually, too, he is breaking down some of the old customs of his country, and he hopes in time to do away with the purdah for women, the system of seclusion by which Indian women are screened away from strangers. But, of course, that will take time."