DIAMONDS, DRINKS AND DANCING

regularly with a crew that’s equally privileged: bankers, lawyers, entrepreneurs and trust-fund babies. The one thing they all have in common? A healthy bank balance.

And that brings with it a wealth of privileges, as I soon realise. At just past midnight on a Saturday, I dutifully wait in line at the entrance of Pangaea for Lucy and her friends to turn up. There is already a queue of 20 waiting patiently to enter. Fifteen minutes later, Lucy arrives with a group of eight immaculately dressed friends, spots me, and, a little embarrassedly, grabs me out of the queue. That’s when it hits me: For these regular big spenders, there is no such thing as waiting in line, paying a cover charge or jostling at the bar. These people party in style; think the whole nine yards – velvet ropes, reserved tables and exclusive bottle service.

As the bouncers wave us in, Lucy puts her hands over my shoulders and drawls in a slight American accent: “I hope you’re ready for a crazy night!” For people like Lucy and her friends, hitting these luxe clubs is a way of life. She started partying at Butter Factory when she was 18, then moved on to the now-defunct members-only club Filter, followed by Mink a few years later. She used to head out three times a week, but she says she’s toned it down, limiting herself to a once-a-week jaunt now. Her clubs of choice these days? Marina Bay Sands nightspots Ku De Ta and Pangaea, where the cheapest bottle will set you back about $250 before taxes, and where you can get the most expensive cocktail in Singapore – the Jewel of Pangaea, a cognac-andKrug-champagne concoction that comes with a one-carat Murad diamond ring and costs a whopping $32,000.

At these two nightspots, Lucy always gets a reserved table, which requires a minimum spend. Sabrina Van Cleef Ault, co-owner of Pangaea Singapore, tells me that patrons who reserve tables spend $10,000 a night on average, but there’s an additional 20 per