Empire State billionaire Tony Malkin enrages New Zealand neighbors with New Year's Eve fireworks

A New York billionaire has enraged neighbors in the quiet New Zealand town where he lives with plans for an extravagant, 14 minute, pyrotechnic bonanza on New Year's Eve.

Tony Malkin, CEO of Empire Realty Trust which owns the eponymous landmark, owns a sprawling, hilltop retreat in Dalefield, a rural area on the outskirts of Queenstown that has attracted a string of foreign billionaires in recent years.

On December 31, his property will play host to a commercial grade fireworks display that will light up the sky above his neighbors.

The problem? Many of those living nearby own horses and various other animals. 

Now, they have put vets on standby for December 31 out of fear that their animals will spook, go into shock or flee onto nearby roads and cause danger for motorists and themselves.  

Tony Malkin, CEO of Empire Realty Trust, owns a sprawling, hilltop retreat in Dalefield, a rural area on the outskirts of Queenstown that has attracted a string of foreign billionaires in recent years

Dalefield near Queenstown, New Zealand, is a luscious, rural escape which has attracted a handful of billionaires in recent years

They appealed to Malkin to reconsider his plans but he is pushing ahead, despite  Change.org petition with over 500 signatures calling for him to cancel the display.

Now, the frustrated neighbors have canceled their plans to stay home with the animals.

Leading the charge is Johnny Quinn, a father and horse owner who says Malkin's festive plans are 'un-neighborly'. 

'He literally hasn't interacted with the local community. 

'He's now said he will offer financial assistance to people who need to move their animals, but the horse has bolted, so to speak.'

'It will definitely spook the horses. People are very nervous, and are staying around to look after their animals - it's not just horses, it's cats and dogs, and other livestock,' he told DailyMail.com. 

Anthony Malkin's sprawling New Zealand home sits atop a hill in Dalefield, near Queenstown 

Neighbors launched a Change.org petition calling for the fireworks display to be canceled. It has gathered more than 500 signatures

Johnny Quinn, one of the neighbors leading the charge, said Malkin had been 'un-neighborly' in his approach to their complaints

Quinn owns multiple horses, as do many of the neighbors near Malkin's home. They say a firework for a horse feels like an earthquake for a human 

Malkin's office in New York did not respond to requests for comment. 

He has however offered to consider 'reasonable' requests for financial assistance from some of his neighbors to help them move their animals out of the fireworks zone. 

Dalefield has become a mecca for foreign billionaires eager to escape the throes of the rat race. 

Many view New Zealand as a shelter from the threats of terrorism, civil unrest and instabilities in the financial markets.   

Among those to have bought homes is Peter Thiel, William Foley and Google co-founder Larry Page. 

The exodus has been well-documented and was compounded by COVID-19, when Western billionaires and the super-rich went to extreme lengths to get away from others.  

Queenstown, New Zealand, and its outskirts has become a mecca for western billionaires who want to escape the threats of more populated countries