Mysterious heiress LanLan Yang has continued her outlandish efforts to hide her face from the public but briefly let her mask slip during a lazy two-hour lunch at a Sydney harbourside restaurant.
The day news broke she could face seven years in jail over a crash which wrecked her $1.5million Rolls-Royce and left radio king Sandilands’s chauffeur in hospital, Yang chose to dine at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The 23-year-old met a female companion at the gallery shortly before midday and the pair made their way to the fourth-floor Canvas eatery, where they chose a table next to a window looking out over Circular Quay.
She arrived without wearing a mask, but wore both a white one and a black one during her time at the restaurant – the second with a slit across the mouth, allowing her to eat through it.
On offer was a two or three course set menu at $95 or $120 per person, with crab cappelletti and wagyu tartare among the entree options and scallops with cauliflower, Vegemite and cumin one of the mains.
Dessert choices were a lemon posset, lime parfait, Bakewell tart or tarte Tatin.
Yang has been a source of intense curiosity – and speculation – since she was charged over the July 27 crash on New South Head Road at Rose Bay in Sydney’s east.
Stories about Yang have gone viral in Australia and China due to her extraordinary designer wardrobe and apparent enormous wealth.
Mysterious heiress LanLan Yang has continued her extraordinary efforts to hide her face from the public but briefly let her mask slip during a lazy two-hour lunch at a Sydney harbourside restaurant (above)
The day news broke she could face seven years in jail over a crash which wrecked her $1.5million Rolls-Royce and left radio king Sandilands’s chauffer in hospital, Yang decided to dine at the Museum of Contemporary Art (above)
The crash at Rose Bay on July 27 left George Plassaras with a broken spine, ribs, hips and femurs, a ruptured spleen and diaphragm, and a torn-open abdomen
Her mystique grew after the Daily Mail revealed she in fact owned two Rolls-Royces and lived in a luxury penthouse apartment at Watsons Bay.
Yang turned up at Canvas on Wednesday wearing one of her collection of hats – this time a $1,220 Louis Vuitton Iconic cap.
A $4,326 Louis Vuitton jacket and $3,000 Louis Vuitton cargo pants were complemented with $2,600 Hermes ankle boots.
She was not recognised by the tourists who came to take pictures of the Harbour Bridge from the balcony.
However, after putting on the white mask, she greeted a young woman sitting outside, who was herself wearing a $3,918 knitted vest.
Yang paid for lunch and remained at the table with her friend for another hour, negotiating conversation and dessert through the opening in her black mask.
After leaving the restaurant she called for her usual driver and ran to his Toyota Vellfire van when it parked near the museum.
It was then off to Rose Bay police station where Yang has to report three days a week as part of her bail.
There, when approached by a photographer, she declined to answer questions about her wealth, rumoured Chinese government connections or the charges she is facing, fleeing down a set of nearby stairs, and later running for her van.
Yang met a female friend shortly before midday and the pair made their way to the fourth-floor Canvas eatery, where they chose a table next to a window looking out over Circular Quay
Yang has been a source of intense curiosity – and speculation – since she was charged over the July 27 crash on New South Head Road at Rose Bay in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. She is seen with a white face mask around her chin
She later fished out a black one with a slit across the mouth, eating her dessert through it
Yang was allegedly behind the wheel of this Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce Cullinan when she smashed into a van driven by George Plassaras, the chauffeur for Kyle Sandilands
On Wednesday morning, Daily Mail had attended the central business district offices of Yang’s lawyer, Zile Yu, hoping he might be able to comment on his client’s background.
After identifying ourselves to a friendly receptionist and asking if it was possible to speak with Mr Yu – but before explaining the purpose of our visit – we were told he was probably not available.
The receptionist investigated, returned and said: ‘Sorry, we don’t have any comment about that at this stage.’
The Daily Mail revealed on Wednesday that Yang had been hit with two more charges since she first appeared in court over the Rose Bay crash last month.
On that occasion, she was charged only with causing bodily harm by misconduct and refusing or failing to submit to a breath test, which carry maximum penalties of two years and 18 months in jail, respectively.
She is now also accused of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm – an offence which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison – and not giving particulars to police.
Yang was allegedly behind the wheel of her Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce Cullinan when it smashed into a van driven by George Plassaras.
The crash left Plassaras with a broken spine, ribs, hips and femurs, a ruptured spleen and diaphragm, and a torn-open abdomen.
Yang, pictured with her lunch companion wore a $1,220 Louis Vuitton Iconic cap, a $4,326 Louis Vuitton jacket, $3,000 Louis Vuitton cargo pants and $2,600 Hermes ankle boots
After leaving the restaurant Yang called for her usual driver and ran to his Toyota Vellfire van when it parked near the museum
Once out of the city, Yang headed to Rose Bay police station where Yang has to report three days a week as part of her bail
Yang declined to answer questions about her wealth, rumoured Chinese government connections or the charges she is facing when approached by a photographer – running for a waiting van
Yang also owns a second unregistered white Rolls-Royce Ghost Convertible worth up to $800,000, which sits unused in her penthouse garage.
Hundreds of curious spectators queued up at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court to see Yang when her case was first mentioned on August 15.
But the designer-clad defendant disappointed her new fan base by being a no-show in person and appearing by video link from Mr Yu’s office instead.
Masses of observers filled the courtroom and spilled into the foyer as Yang appeared on screen wearing a chic designer bucket hat and tailored suit.
Mr Yu said Yang was not in a position to enter pleas because ‘the police have indicated there will be additional charges’.
Court records show the two additional charges were added on August 19.
Yang’s case has sparked huge interest among Chinese Australians who are fascinated by her background and the source of her wealth.
One onlooker at her first court appearance told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s very rare to see, or have the opportunity to see, someone in person who is ultra wealthy and has power.’
Curious spectators queued up at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court to see Yang when her case was first mentioned on August 15 (above)
Plassaras (above) was taken to hospital with serious injuries, while Yang was charged by NSW Police and granted bail under conditions including that she surrender her passport
‘You don’t see 23-year-olds who can drive two Rolls-Royces.’
Her on-screen court appearance came days after the Daily Mail confronted Yang in Double Bay where she was seen withdrawing wads of $50 bills at a bank ATM.
Conjecture about Yang has taken off in China, where she has become the subject of wildly inaccurate claims on platforms Douyin and Weibo, as well as in mainstream media reports.
A series of widely-viewed Chinese social media posts falsely claimed Yang paid an $80million bond to be granted bail.
They also claimed, without naming a source or providing any corroboration, that authorities found Yang had $270billion sitting in a local bank account.
The first claim about the bond is demonstrably false – a court spokesperson told the Daily Mail there was ‘no monetary condition stipulated by police’ as part of her bail agreement.
The bank balance claim is impossible to confirm, but if true, it would make the until recently obscure figure close to the world’s richest person.
Fevered Chinese social media speculation suggested Yang used the English name ‘Wendy’ and that she was a former University of NSW student whose fortune stemmed from the iron ore trade.
Some users even claimed her minder – seen when the Daily Mail approached Yang outside Rose Bay Police Station in July – had the rank of lieutenant colonel with the Beijing police special duty unit. That could not be confirmed and is likely false.
Yang is due back in court on September 26.
