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British inventor Dyson to buy second Singapore luxury property, says report
British inventor James Dyson is the creator of the Dyson vacuum cleaners. u00e2u20acu201d AFP pic

SINGAPORE, July 26 ― British inventor James Dyson is buying a luxury Singapore house with an indoor waterfall that was marketed for US$32 million (RM131 million), a report said today, weeks after he snapped up the city-state's priciest penthouse.

His electric appliance company, known for its bagless vacuum cleaners, hand dryers and fans, announced this year it was shifting its global headquarters from England to the city-state to be closer to Asian markets.

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The company also plans to produce electric cars there, as part of its expansion east after Britain's 2016 decision to leave the EU.

The Brexit-backing billionaire has initiated the purchase of the luxurious bungalow facing the Unesco-listed Botanic Gardens, which was put on the market at S$45 million, the city-state's Straits Times newspaper reported.

The freehold property is over 15,000 square feet (1,400 square metres) and features a spiral staircase, landscaped garden and an infinity pool.

To get government approval to buy such a property, a foreigner must have made "exceptional economic contributions in Singapore”, the paper said.

Official documents seen by AFP showed a "caveat” ― a document to register a purchaser's legal interest in a property ― was lodged with authorities for the bungalow on July 3.

The 72-year-old's company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Earlier this month, Dyson made international headlines when it emerged that he had purchased a 21,000-square-foot "super penthouse” for a reported figure of almost S$74 million.

The biggest and most expensive penthouse in Singapore, it sits on the top three floors of a tower in the business district, and has a private garden, storage for 600 bottles of wine, and a round-the-clock dedicated butler service.

At the time a Dyson spokesman said that given the company's decision to shift its headquarters to Singapore, "of course James Dyson has bought a property there”.

Affluent and developed, Singapore has long attracted wealthy residents from around the world ― a trend that has helped fuel a rise in property prices over the years.

In October, Dyson announced it had picked Singapore for its first electric car plant, sparking criticism from some quarters that the Brexit-supporting tycoon was not investing more at home.

A prototype Dyson electric vehicle is in the works for 2020, followed by a product launch in 2021. The company insists its decision to move headquarters from Britain is not due to Brexit but to be closer to a growing majority of its customers. ― AFP

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