Malaysian badminton legend Tan Boon Heong recently went viral after revealing how his RM530,000 purchase of a 2018 Range Rover Sport turned into a cautionary tale of luxury, loss, and letting go.
The former world No. 1 shared his experience candidly on social media, warning fellow car lovers to “think 99 times” before buying a Range Rover.
From dream come true to resale disaster
Like many, Tan once dreamed of owning a luxury SUV — and when he finally had the means, he went all in.
“I dropped RM530,000 on my dream car,” he wrote, referring to the Range Rover 3.0 Sport.
For about a year, he cruised around proudly, but soon noticed the car’s value plunging faster than expected.
When he decided to sell, the luxury SUV had already lost appeal in the market. He started asking RM450,000 — already a huge RM80K drop — and even had friends who said they’d buy it, “even if it’s slightly overpriced.”
But those ‘friends’ disappeared. Ghosted me completely,” he said.
Price kept dropping, hope kept fading
Desperate to cut his losses, Tan kept slashing the price. From RM450,000 down to RM375,000. Then RM350,000. Then RM345,000. Still, no one committed.
Eventually, a fan stepped up and paid a deposit. It looked like the deal was finally happening — until the buyer’s loan application got rejected due to poor credit.
Now, Tan has a new buyer lined up at RM245,000 — less than half the original price. If the loan gets approved, he’ll still be losing RM285,000.
If not, he joked, “I’ll keep the car as a vintage decoration.”
“You think I can’t manage money?”
After sharing his story online, netizens were quick to jump in with advice, criticism, and financial opinions. Some called him foolish, others mocked his decision-making.
Tan responded with a follow-up post on 28 June that was both defiant and honest.
Lost money buying a car and people say I can’t manage finances. You’re so good at managing money — are you rich yet?” he wrote.
He explained that many men like to enjoy life through things like watches, houses, or red wine — and that living too cautiously out of fear of losing money often stops people from enjoying life.
“Life is about experiencing things. If you lose money, just earn it back. Why be so hung up about it? You can’t take it with you when you die.”
You laugh at me for being foolish, I laugh at you for never driving a Range Rover.” he ended his post with a mic drop.
