Sicilians are furious that an eccentric Japanese billionaire has rented out several cultural institutions in Palermo for a three-day birthday extravaganza.
Kaoru Nakajima managed to rent out some of Palermo’s oldest and most iconic landmarks, including opera houses, theaters and century-old hotels, to celebrate his 73rd birthday.
The billionaire rented out the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy and one of the largest in Europe.
He has also rented out the Politeama Theater, going so far as to order additional bespoke seating so his guests could dance and dine in the 132-year-old building, at a reported cost of 37,000 euros (£32,244).
Nakajima, who was once pictured with pop superstar Mariah Carey, will house his 1,400 guests at both the five-star Villa Igiea hotel, on Palermo beach, and the Grand Hotel et des Palmes, just a few kilometers away.
It is said that he fed them with a banquet prepared by a famous chef, and entertained them with a concert by Matteo Bocelli, son of the legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli, as well as a performance of Don Giovanni conducted by the acclaimed Riccardo Muti, who is said to be a good friend of the birthday boy.
Kaoru Nakajima (pictured) managed to rent out some of Palermo’s oldest and most iconic cultural institutions
He was seen working with several local politicians before and after the performance
His guests stay in the luxurious Villa Igiea, located on the coast of Palermo
His guests will also stay at the Grand Hotel et des Palmes, which is just a few kilometers away from Villa Igiea.
Nakajima has hired the Teatro Massimo, one of Palermo’s most iconic cultural institutions, for a private performance of Don Giovanni
He even went so far as to spend over €30,000 on additional, custom-made seating at the Politeama Theater so that his guests could dance and dine.
Several close friends and family members posed for photos outside the Teatro Massimo
The 73-year-old billionaire was once pictured with pop legend Mariah Carey in 2013
The billionaire, wearing an ornate walking stick, was led to an exclusive box at the Teatro Massimo with the help of several people.
He was seen working with several local politicians before and after the performance.
His friends and family, meanwhile, posed for photos outside the venue.
Shortly after the performance, he told an Italian media outlet: “Palermo is beautiful.”
Despite his cheerful outlook, not everything had gone according to plan. Arrangements for a huge banquet on Sunday were thrown into disarray after it emerged that the celebrity chef he hired to cater for his guests was under house arrest for allegedly selling drugs from his restaurant in Palermo.
His plans, initially scheduled to take place in 2020 for his 70th birthday but canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have been so disruptive that the Sicilian Symphonic Orchestra was moved to a smaller, less prestigious venue to make way for his extravagant performance. celebrate.
His birthday plans were initially intended for his 70th birthday in 2020, but were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Nakajima was seen carrying an ornate walking stick as he was escorted to an exclusive casket at the Teatro Massimo
He was seen grinning as he told local reporters: ‘Palermo is beautiful’
Renato Schifani, the governor of Sicily, was not happy that the billionaire was renting out so many cultural institutions, telling an Italian news agency: “I am a liberal person who has always been open to the private sector, but there is a need for everything border. ‘
He added that he feared Nakajima would hire so many institutions so quickly that other ultra-rich individuals would do the same.
“In this way we open an unprecedented window, which could lead to other private individuals requesting similar treatment,” he said.
In addition to being a billionaire, Nakajima is also a singer and composer. Nakajima has won a prize at the Tokyp pop festival, the Japanese version of the Eurovision Song Contest.
He has written several motivational books, including “Important Life Lessons I Learned from the Super Elite.”
The billionaire made his fortune by rising through the ranks of AmWay, the American multi-level marketing company
He sold his stake in AmWay and later founded two of his own MLM companies
He entertained his 1,400 guests with a concert by Matteo Bocelli, the son of the legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli
His hugely extravagant plans were initially set to go ahead in 2020 to celebrate his 70th birthday
He rose through the ranks of the multi-level marketing company AmWay when it expanded into Japan in 1979, and made his fortune by selling his stake in the company before later opening his own businesses.
AmWay sells household and beauty products and convinces customers to become paid distributors of the products.
Nakajima was one of the company’s best sellers when he worked for them.
In the 1990s, he made Amway history by doubling the sales of his group of approximately 750,000 distributors, and at one point reportedly captured 40% of the company’s sales in Japan.
“My future looks so bright it’s almost scary,” he told interviewers at the time.