• The new Kryptos is full of cryptic clues which owners are tasked with trying to crack. All photos courtesy Rolls-Royce
    The new Kryptos is full of cryptic clues which owners are tasked with trying to crack. All photos courtesy Rolls-Royce
  • You may have to get closer if you're looking for the solution.
    You may have to get closer if you're looking for the solution.
  • And it all starts with the Spirit of Ecstasy ...
    And it all starts with the Spirit of Ecstasy ...
  • Spotted anything yet?
    Spotted anything yet?
  • Starry effects - and they could mean something.
    Starry effects - and they could mean something.
  • There are just 50 Kryptos models available.
    There are just 50 Kryptos models available.
  • Only two people at Rolls-Royce are so far aware of what the big secret is.
    Only two people at Rolls-Royce are so far aware of what the big secret is.
  • Keep checking for clues.
    Keep checking for clues.
  • Rear window view.
    Rear window view.
  • Into the blue.
    Into the blue.

The Kryptos factor: New Rolls-Royce Wraith is embedded with hidden puzzles


Simon Wilgress-Pipe
  • English
  • Arabic

Rolls-Royce has just released details of a new, limited-edition Wraith model dubbed the Kryptos – and it has a series of complex puzzles hidden within.

However, you'll have to put your best sleuthing skills to the test to discover what these are.

Few clues have been given by the manufacturer as to what these teasers might be, but an “enlightening conclusion” can apparently be happened upon if owners are able to crack a series of clues embedded into the design of the car.

To the outward eye, these appear to be the usual intricate stylings that are part and parcel of Rolls-Royce products, but you’ll need to look closer.

“The name Kryptos is derived from Ancient Greek, referring to something unseen, hidden and coded, mythical even. Ciphers can be traced through millennia, capturing the imagination of some of the world’s most brilliant minds," says the car's designer, Karin Lehmann.

It seems those keen on finding out what it’s all about will need to start with the Spirit of Ecstasy, the brand’s signature figurine for more than a century, which features an engraving giving you your first clue. You then have to examine everything from the bumpers to the colour, as well as the wheels, treadplates and all manner of other features inside the cabin.

Don’t think you’ll be able to find clues on the internet or similar, as the whole project is very secret, and has been from the start – a sealed envelope in the chief executive’s safe holds the answer, and only two people at Rolls-Royce are so far aware of what this is.

There are just 50 Kryptos models available, with no word on the price just yet, so there won’t be many who get to have a bash at solving the clues.

Most people who buy vehicles of this sort like to stare at them as it is – so at least when they do this with the Kryptos, they’ll be able to exercise their mental agility at the same time.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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