Arab sheikh offers Uruguayan President Jose Mujica $1 million for '87 VW Beetle
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica said that an Arab sheikh offered one million dollars to buy his 1987 Volkswagen Beetle, which became popular as a symbol of his humble lifestyle.
Mujica was elected as the President of Uruguay in 2010 and he became an international public figure after he declared that he donates 90% of his salary to charities. Mujica lives in a tiny farm house that is under his wife's name, instead of the enormous presidential residence.
The president has been gaining popularity worldwide since he took office, mainly due to his austerity and the policies he has implemented such as legalization of marijuana and gay marriage in Uruguay.
Mujica was once named "the poorest president in the world" due to his choice of lifestyle, which is far from usual for a president.
When asked about the offer, Mujica said "That's what they said to me, but I didn't give it any importance" The Guardian reported. Mujica said that he would be happy to auction the Beetle because he has no commitment to cars but he also jokingly added that he didn't agree to sell it because of his dog Manuela, his dog, famous for having only three legs. Mexico's ambassador to Uruguay suggested that Mujica could get 10 four-wheel-drive trucks for the 1987 Beetle if he auctioned it in Mexico. He said that if he got $1m for the car, he would donate the money to homeless people, and if he got trucks for it, they would be used by Uruguay's public health office or by his campaign workers, the Guardian reported. Mujica, when asked about why someone would be willing to pay a fortune for his 27-year-old, little car that has nothing luxurious about it, said: "Human beings have a bit of fetishism; we need certain material symbols."
