'China’s Taylor Swift' G.E.M. spends nearly $11M on two Hong Kong flats

The units, each measuring 2,480 square feet (230 square meters), are located in the Leon Court residential building in the city’s Wan Chai District, the South China Morning Post reported, citing government records.

They were combined into a duplex by the previous owner, according to agents.

The purchase was completed earlier this month at a 35% discount from peak prices three years ago amid the weakness in the local property market.

Another flat on a higher floor in the same building was previously sold for HK$65 million in 2022.

Hong Kong singer-songwriter G.E.M. Photo from G.E.M.'s Instagram/@gem0816

G.E.M., whose real name is Gloria Tang Tze-kei, was born in Shanghai in 1991 and raised in Hong Kong. She debuted in 2008 and quickly became a leading figure in the Chinese music industry, according to Dimsum Daily. Her stage name G.E.M. stands for "Get Everybody Moving."

Her rise to stardom in China was fueled by her participation in the 2014 season of the singing competition "I Am a Singer 2," where she was the runner-up. The show catapulted her fame across the Mandarin-speaking world, solidifying her status as a household name.

G.E.M.'s financial success aligns with her luxurious lifestyle, with her earnings nearing HK$70 million in 2015, according to U.S. magazine Forbes’ China Celebrity List.

Hong Kong real estate is a favored investment among the city's celebrities. However, difficulties in the market have recently prompted many of them to sell or list their properties at discounts.

Last December, Hong Kong actor William Chan reduced the asking price for his three-bedroom apartment in the city by 21% to HK$26.8 million, just 1% higher than its purchase price in 2015.

That same month, actor Chow Yun Fat also slashed the price of his mountain-top mansion in Hong Kong from HK$220 million to HK$195 million. It was initially acquired by the actor for HK$128 million in 2010.