A Night to Remember

A man strolled into a London nightspot with his entourage and spent $215,000.

ByABC News
July 25, 2007, 9:27 PM

July 25, 2007 — -- Staff members at London's exclusive Crystal nightclub are used to high rollers.

But even the most seasoned hosts were stunned Saturday night when one partygoer spent more than £105,000 -- approximately $215,000 -- in less than five hours.

It was near midnight when the mystery spender, rumored to be a Middle Eastern business man, rolled up to the swanky British club, flanked by an entourage of eight women and nine men, and headed straight for the VIP area.

The party started with a simple bottle of white wine.

"He ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio for £25," or about $50, said Alex Field, a spokesman for the club.

"He then decided to go for a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne," Field said. "And from there, he basically told the waiting staff, 'just keep the drinks coming.'"

By the time the mystery guest put down his credit card at 4:24 a.m., the tab included 36 bottles of Cristal champagne, totalling nearly $26,000, and a methuselah of the same brand -- equivalent to eight regular bottles -- at more than $60,000.

"This guy came in and just exploded with money," a twenty-something eyewitness and regular of the club, who wished to remain anonymous, told ABC News. "The amount of alcohol coming through was just incredible."

Alex Field said that even given London's notoriously extravagant nightclub scene, he'd never seen spending like this.

"I've been in the industry nine years," he told ABC News. "And I think it's a record."

Fronted by Jacobi Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, best friend to Prince Harry and one of London's most recognizable social figures, the blue-themed Crystal Club opened last year, joining a list of London hotspots like Chinawhite, Boujis, and The Cuckoo Club.

A favorite with London's young and rich, famous regulars also include singer Bjork and fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, according to newspaper The Scotsman.

Field said he had seen a surge in big spending in the London club scene over the past few years. Those topping the list, he said, are foreign businessmen.