Take A Peek Into The Billionaire Garage: What Do They Drive?
By
Editorial Staff in
Entertainment
On 7th September 2016
Asking most people what kind of car they would buy – out of any car in the entire world – yields only an exercise of the imagination. But for a select few people with seemingly endless funds, the question takes on a new meaning.
With a bottomless bank account, possibilities for dream cars can feasibly include rare models with historical significance or a hand-built supercar that more closely resembles a work of art than an automobile. So what kinds of cars do the elite pick? There are the flashy poster queens, exotic autos with seven figure price tags and insane amounts of power. But there are also some surprisingly frugal picks, including the $1,500 sedan that belongs to an entrepreneur worth more than $62 billion. Take a peek into the garages of some of the world's richest people, and see what kinds of cars billionaires drive.
#1 BILL GATES : Porsche 959 – Estimated value as high as $1.85 million
Forbes currently lists Bill Gates as the richest man in the world, worth $75 billion. With his self-made wealth as a Microsoft co-founder, Gates built a 66,000-square-foot estate that incorporates high-tech features better suited to a James Bond movie than a standard Pacific Northwest home.
On his Xanadu 2.0 property, Gates has enough garage space to store 23 cars. The largest is a 10-car garage hidden out of site. "Built entirely underground of concrete and stainless steel, it can easily park 10 or more cars," described U.S. News & World Report's Richard Folkers. "Some of the concrete is purposely broken for a 'deconstructivist' look."
Little is known about what's parked in this cavelike garage, or any of the other garages sprinkled around the Gates property. But at least one of his cars made headlines. In the late ‘80s, Gates bought a Porsche 959 a competition-grade coupe with a then-$225,000 price tag. With a limited production of about 200 cars, no crash testing was completed, which prevented the car from being driven in the U.S. After sitting in storage for more than a decade, a new federal law was finally passed granting owners the ability to drive cars like the Porsche 959 up to 2,500 miles a year. Gates' investment in the 959 has paid off. It's now estimated to be worth nearly $2 million.
#2 WARREN BUFFETT : 2014 Cadillac XTS – MSRP when new: $44,600 - $69,095
When you are as financially savvy as Warren Buffett, car companies send only their sharpest sales rep to sell you a new car. That's how Buffett, who had been driving an 8-year-old Cadillac sedan, found himself talking cars with none other than Mary Barra, chief executive officer of General Motors.
"She really let me have it," Buffett said of his conversation with Barra. "She told me about 50 things that were better" in the new Cadillacs versus his old car. "By the time we got to lunch and it's only 5 or 6 minutes she sold me."
With his $60.8 billion net worth, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO could afford the finest luxury car built. But as a fan of American-made cars, he had his eye on something less expensive. Barra suggested a Cadillac CTS for Buffet, though he ended up buying a 2014 Cadillac XTS instead, saying this large luxury car is a better fit for him than the sportier CTS. He then gave his 2006 Cadillac DTS to charity, where its top bid of $122,500 was donated to benefit Girls Incorporated of Omaha.
#3 MICHAEL BLOOMBERG : Audi R8 – Estimated MSRP of $130,650
While many politicians and presidential candidates prefer more stately vehicles, like Chris Christie's chauffeured Chevy Suburban, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg appears to have more of a wild side. He drives a first generation Audi R8.
This car was not built to navigate the crowded city streets of NYC and is more at home on unconstrained highways that allow the R8 to stretch out its 560-horsepower 5.2-liter V10 engine. An Audi like this lets any billionaire live life in the fast lane, launching from zero to 62 mph in only 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 199 mph.
Few New Yorkers will be able to afford to park an R8, much less buy one. The new-car price of a 2011 R8 started at $130,000, or roughly what your yearly salary needs to be to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan.
#4 JEFF BEZOS : 1996 Honda Accord – Current private party value estimated at $1,500
Amazon.com has changed the way people shop. And while its founder, Jeff Bezos, continues to push boundaries with ventures that include private space travel and drone-delivered packages, many of his personal preferences are surprisingly grounded.
A perfect example of this frugal practicality can be seen in his car. For years, Bezos reportedly has been driving a 1996 Honda Accord, a car that's currently worth less than $2,000. Even if he were to trade his 20-year-old car in for a 2016 Accord, Bezos could easily afford it, with a base model starting at $22,205, and a fully-optioned Accord available for $34,680.
#5 MARK ZUCKERBERG : Acura TSX – MSRP for a new 2014 TSX: $30,635
Just like many of the billionaires on our list, Mark Zuckerberg built his own fortune. But before he helped create Facebook, grew his net worth to $44.6 billion, and spent in the neighborhood of $200 million for his estate, Zuckerberg was driving around in pretty inexpensive cars.
This includes an Acura TSX, which Zuckerberg called "safe, comfortable and not ostentatious." The TSX, which was phased out in 2014 and replaced with the TLX, was essentially Acura's upscale version of the popular Honda Accord. Even with the upgrades, this was still an affordable sedan: A new 2014 TSX had a starting price of $30,635.
Now, Zuckerberg may be cultivating a taste for more expensive automobiles with his rumored purchase of a Pagani Huayra. Though Zuckerberg is adamant about his privacy, there's no way he'll be able to fly under the radar in this supercar, which comes with a 720-horsepower V12 and a $1.07 million price tag.
#6 ALICE WALTON : 2006 Ford F-150 King Ranch – Average value estimated at $10,000
Sam Walton passed on more than just his Wal-Mart legacy to his daughter, Alice Walton. He also handed down his love of Fords. Sam loved his 1979 Ford F-150 pickup so much that it has been preserved in the Wal-Mart Museum (complete with his dog's bite marks on the steering wheel).
Though Alice can easily afford a high-end luxury sedan that would complement her lifestyle as an art curator, she picked a 2006 Ford F-150 King Ranch truck. A similar 10-year-old F-150 King Ranch would likely sell for around $10,000 through a private party. Even a brand new model wouldn't be out of reach for this billionaire. Retail price for a 2016 Ford-F150 King Ranch edition begins at $50,050.
#7 PHIL KNIGHT: Audi R8 – New MSRP starts at $162,900
In 1964 Phil Knight was selling shoes out of the trunk of his car. Flash forward 50 years, and he's no longer peddling single pairs of shoes but is turning over leadership of Nike the sports company he founded and stepping down as its chairman.
Knight now has more time to spend behind the wheel of his Audi R8, which (thankfully) has no room for shoe boxes in the trunk. That's because as a midengine car, the R8's 610-horsepower V10 engine is mounted in the rear of the car (though Knight could squeeze a few boxes in the front storage compartment). The starting price of a 2017 R8 runs around $162,900, which is almost five times more expensive than the average new car price. However, given that Knight's net worth is estimated at $24.4 billion, he could still easily afford something even more exotic if he chose.
#8 LARRY PAGE : Toyota Prius – MSRP of new Prius starts at $24,200
Ask Larry Page CEO of Google's parent company, Alphabet to describe the perfect car, and his dream vehicle will undoubtedly be able to drive itself. Google has been making headlines recently with its own self-driving car. Page explains that one of the main drivers of this project is saving money, with less money spent on parking fees and facilities.
"If we have automated cars, or even if we have some fraction of automated cars, we'll save hundreds of millions of dollars on parking, just at Google," Page says. And he's undaunted by the enormous task of developing this technology. "I like it when we're picking problems like that: big things where technology can have a really big impact. And we're pretty sure we can do it. And whatever the technology investment we need to do that, it's not going to be that huge compared to the payoff."
For his personal car, Page maintained his mantra of high-tech and low cost by picking a Toyota Prius. The price of a new Prius starts at $24,200, which is a cheap price for a man worth $35.2 billion.
#9 SERGEY BRIN : Model X Founder's Edition – Price estimated at $144,950
Forbes lists Larry Page as the 12th richest man in the world at the moment. Directly after Page comes Sergey Brin, who co-founded Google with Page and is currently the president of its parent company, Alphabet. Brin's net worth is listed at $34.4 billion.
Like his Google counterpart, Brin has also been said to drive a Toyota Prius. But Brin joined an elite club last fall when he became one of the first recipients of the newly-released Tesla Model X. He was at the live unveiling event for the electric SUV, though he sent a stand-in to receive delivery of his No. 4 Model X, a Founder's Edition valued at $144,950. This is the fully optioned trim level of the Model X, with less than 100 built and delivered to a select group that included Tesla Motors' board members and investors.
Savvy billionaires understand that affording a well-built daily driver is more about value than price. "It's not really about the money," says billionaire Chris Dawson. "It's about the deals."
