# What the World's Top 10 Billionaires Drive



## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

Many around here have spent MUCH more on their cars than some of the richest people in the world. I'm amazed at some of these entries.

http://www.forbesautos.com/advice/toptens/billionaire/01-billionaires.html

(Note to Self: Always give Alice Walton the right-of-way :yikes: )


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

That article is BS - Bill Gates has an enormous exotic car collection - Maclaren, Enzo etc - that article says he drives a '99 Porsche. I stopped reading after that.

But yeah, luxury cars are no longer a symbol of the rich - the super rich have moved on to exclusive services, vacations etc.


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## SmoothCruise (Jul 23, 2005)

___lk___ said:


> Many around here have spent MUCH more on their cars than some of the richest people in the world. I'm amazed at some of these entries.


It doesn't surprise me at all. It seems like the more ultra rich you are, the more likely you won't flaunt it. But, it's not like they are so rich that they have "nothing to prove", it's more like they enjoy what they do: helping others and providing much needed services to others. They have very little concern for material wealth --unlike all of the members of bimmerfest.

Anyways, I'm just speaking from experience. I dated an ultra rich girl, and you would never know it. She dressed so plain and simple and she disdained driving, so no car. I have another friend who owns a very successful law firm, and he drives around in a Toyota Corolla. For year he debated with me about getting a fancier car. He didn't want one, but thought it might help garner new clients. He ended up getting a used Jaguar. It's not even that nice looking.


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## Fre D (May 17, 2006)

the dude with the Volvo....


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## Penforhire (Dec 17, 2005)

Sheah, right. I still remember when Mr. Gates was trying to importing his Porsche 959. A federalized version was eventually created just because he and a few other rich guys had to have it.


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## vexed (Dec 22, 2001)

I don't hold Warren Buffet's choice of cars or beverage (Cherry coke) against him.:thumbup:


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## philippek (Jul 31, 2003)

Dawg90 said:


> That article is BS - Bill Gates has an enormous exotic car collection - Maclaren, Enzo etc - that article says he drives a '99 Porsche. I stopped reading after that.
> 
> But yeah, luxury cars are no longer a symbol of the rich - the super rich have moved on to exclusive services, vacations etc.


I'm sure that all of the people on that list own multiple automobiles. But I believe the claim that his daily driver is that 99 cab.

Kinda bummed that there's nary a bimmerphile on that list...I guess that *proves* that money can't buy taste.

And it figures Dell drives an H2.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

philippek said:


> I'm sure that all of the people on that list own multiple automobiles. But I believe the claim that his daily driver is that 99 cab.


Totally misleading then - they're implying that Bill Gates is an everyman, driving an ordinary car - yet he lobbies the government to let him bring in his exotic supercars.


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## SmoothCruise (Jul 23, 2005)

Dawg90 said:


> Totally misleading then - they're implying that Bill Gates is an everyman, driving an ordinary car - yet he lobbies the government to let him bring in his exotic supercars.


Wouldn't "everyman" do so if he had the resources?

Heck, I'd get an Alpha to the States if I had the money to do so.

But, I know what you mean...


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## philippek (Jul 31, 2003)

SmoothCruise said:


> Wouldn't "everyman" do so if he had the resources?
> 
> Heck, I'd get an Alpha to the States if I had the money to do so.
> 
> But, I know what you mean...


Alfa?


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## SmoothCruise (Jul 23, 2005)

philippek said:


> Alfa?


Oooops... yeah. Got math on the brain, sorry.


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## cwsqbm (Aug 4, 2004)

Dawg90 said:


> But yeah, luxury cars are no longer a symbol of the rich - the super rich have moved on to exclusive services, vacations etc.


:stupid: When you are a multi-billionaire, even an Enzo is really just pocket change, so I doubt they desire it the way us "poor" BMW owners would. I remember seeing an Enzo in Monaco, just parked behind the guy's yacht that was wroth at least 20x the Enzo.


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## SmoothCruise (Jul 23, 2005)

cwsqbm said:


> :stupid: When you are a multi-billionaire, even an Enzo is really just pocket change, so I doubt they desire it the way us "poor" BMW owners would. I remember seeing an Enzo in Monaco, just parked behind the guy's yacht that was wroth at least 20x the Enzo.


So you're saying we desire what we can't have? And what we can have, we don't desire? Most people seem to work to buy rewards, whereas the rich folks I know work because the work is the reward.


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

They are just not car people.

Bill Gates is a car guy, and has, as already posted, quite a large exotic car collection.

Warren Buffet and Steve Palmer are not car guys, neither is Dell.

Some people obviously think cars are status symbols, hence the tippy magic tronic 911's and the Bentley Continentals. But some like cars because they are car guys.


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## bzap (May 15, 2006)

I think this article is meant to make the regular 'joe' feel better about themselves. "Hey, I drive a nicer car than Warren Buffet!" sweet.


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## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

Dawg90 said:


> That article is BS - Bill Gates has an enormous exotic car collection - Maclaren, Enzo etc - that article says he drives a '99 Porsche. I stopped reading after that.
> 
> But yeah, luxury cars are no longer a symbol of the rich - the super rich have moved on to exclusive services, vacations etc.


just b/c gates has a big car collection, doesn't mean he's got them all registered w/ the state of washington. the 959 story is well-known, so they included it.

otherwise, they (somehow) were able to access the current DMV records for these guys. doesn't make the article bogus, or inaccurate that the odd F1 or enzo isn't mentioned.


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

___lk___ said:


> just b/c gates has a big car collection, doesn't mean he's got them all registered w/ the state of washington. the 959 story is well-known, so they included it.
> 
> otherwise, they (somehow) were able to access the current DMV records for these guys. doesn't make the article bogus, or inaccurate that the odd F1 or enzo isn't mentioned.


It's called fact checking, something every journalist is supposed to do.

I think what's significant is that luxury cars used to be a sign that you were rich, as few as 15 years ago. That all changed with the stock market bubble, the easy credit, low-cost leasing etc. Today, a BMW is not a sign of anything - kids out of college making $30k lease them right and left. The same is true of designer clothes - everyone buys them now, they are no longer a sign of being rich.

The rich have moved on to more exclusive trappings like exotic vacations, special services etc.


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## SmoothCruise (Jul 23, 2005)

Dawg90 said:


> The rich have moved on to more exclusive trappings like exotic vacations, special services etc.


But the rich always were into that.


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## chuck92103 (Oct 9, 2005)

Nonsense.

Bill Gates was interviewed on a news program a few years back. At the time he was driving a Lexus LS400 to work.

Can't imagine a billionaire driving a 911 to work. Not without a full security contingent following along. :tsk:


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

SmoothCruise said:


> But the rich always were into that.


I don't mean a weekend in Tahiti like the old days, but these new exclusive resorts catering to the super rich. I read a big article about it - speed read I mean, it wasn't that interesting.


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