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Before we go any further, there's something you should know. Every single instance of ostentatious, mind-blowing wealth described in Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy is based in reality. With his novels, Kwan finally had a creative outlet for the gossip he'd accumulated after years of hearing his Singaporean mother discuss the lives – and spending habits — of her privileged social network. All the books' wild extravagances, like plastic surgery for pet fish, are entirely rooted in these stories.
The Crazy Rich Asians movie adaptation, out August 15, translates the books' opulence into lavish sets, each more over-the-top than the next. Your eyes will feast on the displays of wealth. Your brain will say: "Who lives like this?!" The .01% of Singapore, that's who.
Here are some of the most memorable instances of wealth from Kwan's trilogy, and the reality that inspired them.
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