Billionaires Who Drive Lincolns, Not Lambos

Posted on March 15, 2007 by Nate Whitehill

Billionaires Who Drive Lincoln's, Not Lambo's

You would think that a self-made billionaire who could drive any car they ever dreamed of would choose a Bugatti or Ferrari. After all, even the exorbitant running costs of those vehicles are peanuts for a billionaire. You would be surprised, however, to find out that some of the richest people in the world rather drive a Buick than a Bugatti.

Billionaires and their rides

For example, Microsoft chaiman Steve Ballmer, drives a 1998 Lincoln Continental. Clearly, he is not concerned with impressing his cohorts at Microsoft.

The second wealthiest person in the world, Warren Buffet, recently traded in his 2001 Lincoln Town Car for a 2006 Cadillac DTS. Bill Bartmann, author of Billionaire Secrets to Success, says that “Typically, it’s not the billionaires that are seeking status with a Lamborghini or a Ferrari in the garage, but the people worth $10 million to $50 million.”

How about Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin? Well, even though he is the 26th richest person in the world with a net-worth of around $16.6 billion, his ride of choice is the Toyota Prius. Says Tom Stanley, author of The Millionaire Mind, “His vehicle of choice [a Toyota Prius] reflects his desire to stay on the leading edge of green technology.”

Many billionaires, it seems, are more concerned with philanthropy and family values than flashiness and impressing the non-elite. Very noble, however, if I was a billionaire, it would be hard for me not to drive a Bugatti Veyron to and from work. Maybe these billionaires just do not have a passion for automotive perfomance.

Read more at ForbesAutos.com…
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  • http://www.ryanjparker.net Ryan

    I definately like the path of the green, but if I were a billionare I’d have at least one lambo to play with. 8)

  • http://www.madwhips.com AnthonyC

    Its all a scam to play up their positive public profile.

    Not owning/driving a 10mpg exotic car is just as much of a statement as owning one when your worth millions or billions.

    I can guarantee you that along with the Lambo’s and Ferraris I plan on acquiring, I will also have a Prius, but it will have 19′ Lexani diamond wheels.

  • http://cfpsych.com DrMBW

    Clearly, it all comes down to values. While I can imagine the thrill of driving a Porsche 911 Turbo (or a Tesla, for that matter), not all share that particular interest…

  • http://www.madwhips.com Vinay

    I dont think it’s all that noble or a sign of being humble when billionaires dont have exotics. It means they aren’t car guys, and more importantly is a sign that they aren’t posers.

    Either you have ‘nitrous’ in your bloodstream or you dont. If you have it, you are probably going to drive a fast car even if you arent that rich. If you acheive billionaire status you have no choice, sick fast exotic cars will accumulate in your stables no matter how humble you are!

    You can tell the poser types that dont have 108 octane coarsing thru their veins, but rock a Ferrari or Lambo just cause they can afford it, usually by the paddle shifters and retractable tops!

  • http://www.zoomstart.com Shane

    The interesting part is that these guys are all self-made billionaires. They know how important cost control is to building a successful business. They want value for every dollar they spend.

    High octane might not be in their blood, but business sense is. Through and through.

  • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

    Interesting thought, Anthony. I do agree with you that it could possibly be a scam to play up their positive public profile.

  • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

    Agreed. I also like the path of green, but my Lambo will be lime green!

  • http://www.careerramblings.com Jane

    I think I read that the most popular car amongst millionairs was a Ford Explorer. Interesting because youl’d think they’d drive the hot car, guess they are rich for a reason.

  • http://bitbol.blogspot.com mike

    Like others are saying, you have to be interested in the car for it to mean anything. To some, the car is a status symbol. Around where I live, it is that way with boats. People have enormous jet boats, but they just sit.

    If you enjoy the car, you will use it. I will admit that a few years ago I had little interest in cars. The past year or two, I have come to love cars (probably because I have a license now). If I had the money, I would buy a lambo simply to drive it, and fast. (If I had the money, tickets wouldn’t matter.)

  • http://www.rodtempleton.net Rod

    But if you’re driving a Prius, or a Volvo, or whatever, you blend in. You’re anonymous. Which may be exactly what they want.

  • http://styletips101.com Aniela

    I’m guessing that these people are so rich and so busy, they don’t even drive themselves anymore. That’s why they probably don’t care much for their cars.

  • http://natewhitehill.com Nate Whitehill

    Good point, Aniela. However, if I was being driven around, it certainly would not be in a Lincoln….more like a Maybach or Rolls Royce Phantom.

  • http://wealthbuildinglessons.com Wealth Building Lessons

    maybe he bought the prius for the California tax credit ;-)

  • http://www.looktotheright.com Noah

    That is a great article. Thanks for posting it. It does seem a little weird that the richest sometimes have the worst cars. Good example was the guy that was worth two Bill Gates and only drove an old beat up truck with his favorite dog Ole Roy. Sam Walton. And I hear that local Cary NC billionaire Jim Goodnight of SAS drives an old station wagon with the fake wood panels. Maybe a reflection of priorities and a self image good enough not to need a flashy car.

  • Nathan

    They could all be scared of dieing in a high-speed car crash .. and losing all of their gorgeous money…. in which case they stick to these cars. Funny that; i hadn’t seen that suggestion anywhere above ^.^

    Where’s the creativity? :P