Chua Thian Poh is excited about Crossrail.

The self-made billionaire and one of Singapore’s richest people is unlikely to be spotted on the tube, but his vocal enthusiasm for the new train line makes more sense in light of a £650m deal struck by a subsidiary of Ho Bee Land, Chua’s property company, for London’s Ropemaker Place — a short walk from Moorgate station, which will benefit from the new rail line.