As one of the wealthiest people in the world, Bill Gates has a massive fortune of $118 billion made from co-founding Microsoft, and
Bill Gates was in eighth grade when he generated interest in programming and preferred to stay indoors due to being bullied as a child. After graduating from Lakeside High School, he enrolled at Harvard University in 1973. After meeting Steve Ballmer, he quit college in his sophomore year and created their software company. In 1985, Microsoft was introduced to the world, and a year later, the company went public, with Gates making $350 million. At 31 years of age, he became a billionaire and continued working with Microsoft until he retired from working in 2006. Bill Gates has shifted his focus to philanthropy but remains on the wealthiest billionaires list.
Over the years, Bill Gates has not only bought private islands, yachts, jets, and homes, but he is also an avid car collector with over ten cars in his collection. From his love for Italian brands like Porsche and Ferrari to the American build Ford, let’s take a look at the most expensive cars owned by Bill Gates.
9 Porsche 911 ($55,000)
Four years after Microsoft took off, Bill Gates made his expensive purchase of buying a Porsche 911. The car had been his companion for many years, and the mogul was often seen driving his supercar to work. According to Top Speed, the car was put up for auction in Geneva in 2012 with a starting price of $55,000.
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8 Porsche 930 Turbo ($159,900)
With the turbocharged iteration of the Porsche 911, it was no surprise that Bill Gates purchased the 930 Turbo as someone who loves to test speed to its maximum limit. He used the car until the 1990s and later sent it off to Vienna, Austria, where it was restored and updated. Gates calls his Porsche 930 Turbo ‘The Rocket.’
7 Mercedes 500SL ($59,750)
Bill Gates owned the Mercedes 500SL from 2000 to 2002, and it has now become an iconic car in history. He purchased the stunning Mercedes in a Designo Slate Blue color with two-tone Designo leather seats and a black interior. Additional touches were custom 17-inch chrome wheels and a gray headliner.
Porsche 959 ($2 million)
Porsche 959 has a body inspired by the 911 and a bi-turbo flat engine. As mentioned by The Sun, only 337 units were built. It is an extremely rare car. It is reported that Gates loved the car so much that he shipped it from Europe as it did not pass the US Crash test and was not available for sale.
6 Jaguar XJ6 ($53,450)
William Lyons left behind a rich legacy as the co-founder of Jaguar, who was responsible for creating its most iconic XJ series. The XJ6 was the last car produced by him before 1985 and a special car that Bill Gates added to his collection of the best luxury vehicles of the 1980s. The XJ6 was in production for over twenty years.
5 Ford Focus ($14,395)
Along with the string of supercars in his garage, Bill Gates owned a 2008 Ford Focus that he often drove while coming to work at his office in Seattle, Washington. The economy-class sedan was redesigned for its 2008 iteration and equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that cranked out 140 HP.
4 Tesla Model X ($90,000)
Bill Gates and Elon Musk have had an ongoing debate regarding their stance on climate change, but that doesn’t stop the Microsoft founder from praising Tesla’s efforts to go green. During one of his interviews, while recommending books, Gates was seen driving around a Tesla Model X in 2016, as noted by Electrek. The panoramic view from the windshield offered a stunning outlook of the car.
3 Ferrari 348 ($72,000)
Ferrari 348 is a special supercar in the automaker’s history as it was the last V8 car produced by Enzo Ferrari before his death in 1988. Dubbed Gates’ ‘Dune Buggy,’ he was often seen spinning the vehicle in the sand. The production for the 348 only ran between 1989 to 1995, with only 8,000 cars being manufactured.
2 Chevrolet Suburban ($53,200)
A reliable SUV, Bill Gates has owned a Chevrolet Suburban for many years and is often driven around the car for his casual outings and airport trips. A variety of engine options are offered with the Suburban, including a mighty V8 that provides a top speed of 154 MPH and sprints from 0 to 60 MPH in merely 7.4 seconds.
1 Porsche Taycan ($150,000)
One of Bill Gates’ newest purchases occurred in 2020 when he bought an all-electric Porsche Taycan. As mentioned by Lifestyle Asia, the Taycan comes in two variations, the Turbo and Turbo S. The electric car is equipped with two electric motors that run on lithium-ion batteries. It prances from 0 to 62 MPH in just 5.4 seconds and has a Race-Tex microfiber for its interior.
Other notable cars in Bill Gates’ car collection include the BMW 7 Series and an additional Porsche 911. While he loved testing supercars and driving them during the 1970s and 80s, Bill Gates has since become environmentally cautious and prefers to drive his all-electric Porsche Taycan.
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Sources: Top Speed, The Sun, Electrek, Lifestyle Asia
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