Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates led the profitable company as CEO, president and chief software architect until 2014. Today, Microsoft is worth $1.82 trillion. Gates is one of the world’s most prolific philanthropists.
A pioneer in information and personal computing, Seattle-born Gates once partnered with Apple Computer and collaborated with CEO Steve Jobs. The partnership ended in 1985 when Microsoft released its first operating system, Windows 1.0. Jobs opposed Gates, believing that Gates borrowed too much from Apple. Even when they ruled Silicon Valley, their rivalry never ended.
So after a generation of ruling your operating system, developing the Xbox, and being recognized as a genius, how much is Gates worth? Quite a package. Despite all his rich philanthropy, Gates’ fortune is still more than $100 billion.
Like most billionaires, he has an impressive collection there are cars and enough space to park them. One of his sprawling mansions can garage 23 cars. He also owns four private jets, two of which are luxury jets – each worth $70 million.
But that’s what we’re here for. We look at Bill Gates’ car collectionwe see a range of power, performance, luxury and exotic breeds.
10 Porsche 959 Sport
The Porsche The 959 was a technological marvel. The all-wheel-drive supercar has been carefully designed to dominate 80s-style rally racing. This a car of legends but a daily driver. It is also rare. A total of 345 examples were given.
The 1986 Porsche 959 wasn’t street legal, but Gates tried to import one anyway. NHTSA, which marketed dummy victim models without catalytic converters and without crash testing, refused to accept it in the States. Gates was struggling with the lawand he won, but the battle continued for 13 years before he could take possession.
9 1979 Porsche 911
The first car Bill Gates bought was a 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo. Testing the 911’s top speed with seemingly excessive enthusiasm, Gates racked up three speeding tickets on the first day in Albuquerque, Microsoft’s original headquarters.
A third offense sent him to prison. Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft and a childhood friend of Gates, saved his colleague. The two founded the then-startup software company in New Mexico four years ago, not long after Gates left Harvard. The car is no longer in his car collection. The 911 was last sold at auction for around $80,000 in 2012.
8 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo
Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo went on sale in Stuttgart in September 2019. It’s Porsche’s first electric car, and Porsche-loving Bill Gates was one of the first buyers, happily paying the market price of $185,000. People celebrated the passing of the Silicon billionaire Tesla Model X.
In a YouTube interview, Gates confirmed the purchase option. Discussing perfectly priced electric cars, Gates said:
I just bought a Porsche Taycan, an electric car, and I have to say, it’s very, very nice. This is my first electric car and I really enjoy it.
His comment sounds completely nonsensical, yet remarkable. The pure joy in his eyes says it all.
7 Ferrari 348
Included in Bill Gates’ car collection a rare Ferrari that would be the envy of any Ferrari enthusiast. It’s a mid-engined 3.4-liter V8 sports car, hence the “348” designation. It was one of 8,000 units. But more importantly, the Ferrari 348 was the last model designed by the original Italian carmaker, Enzo Ferrari.
The 1989 Ferrari 348 is a two-passenger supercar that can sell for $160,000. Gates drove a Ferrari, he wasn’t a tomboy. He famously took it for a spin in the sand, earning the car the nickname “dune buggy”.
6 Rolls-Royce Ghost
The 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost is a high-end luxury sedan. It’s extravagant and comfortable, with more subtle cabin features than a stick-shake. A descendant of the Phantom, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is just as soft but slightly smaller. All Rolls-Royce cars are hand-built from the engine to the paint and are fully customizable.
A twin-turbo V12 powers the Ghost up to 592 horsepower, in Black Badge trim, presumably in Gates’ personal collection. These cars are expensive. The 2022 Ghost is priced at around $340,000.
5 BMW 7-Series
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The 2009 BMW 7 Series was the first bulletproof car ever produced. It looks like something 007 would drive. It is an armored luxury car with extensive protective features such as shutting down the ventilation system in case of cabin air failure and piping in the interior fresh air supply. In addition, it is reinforced with steel armor plating to make it bullet proof. In fact, 2009 BMW 760Li VR7 met the requirements of ballistic protection level.
How cool is that? The top trim 760Li sedan had a powerful V12 engine, while other trims offered a V8. Something tells us this billionaire techie is going with the bulletproof V12 version.
Maintenance is expensive, and this luxury sedan retails for around $158,000, depending on trim. Full protection includes bulletproof wheels.
4 Tesla Model X
This is the only proof that Bill Gates might own a Tesla Model X. He is seen driving for an episode of the Gates Notes blog. Behind the wheel of an electric blue Model X with body paint very close to the full color of the Ford Focus, Gates interviews sci-fi writer Neal Seveneves. The two discuss the post-Moon explosion Earth apocalypse over a couple of Diet Cokes over lunch.
Elon Musk publicly attacked Gates for buying a Porsche Taycan. From envy, perhaps, since then Microsoft maestro criticized Tesla, somewhat complaining that Tesla didn’t offer an electric car that the masses could afford. Gates argued that electrification needs to be widely available to solve climate problems.
3 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
We know Gates loves Porsche, but he also appreciates the German engineering at Mercedes-Benz. His 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class was a daily driver, and he was saw him taking his daughter to school. The sleek luxury sedan cost about $110,000 in 2002.
This S-Class is a powerful machine. It comes with a 6-liter V12 and can reach speeds of up to 155. It’s fair to say Gates didn’t test higher speeds when he wasn’t on the track.
2 Chevrolet Suburban
We all know the Chevy Suburban, one of the most popular brands ever produced Chevrolet. It wasn’t a stretch for Gates to shell out nearly $60,000 for a great SUV, and it wasn’t a climate-friendly option, but he used it for daily driving in the Washington, D.C. and Seattle area. It’s roomy and practical, and Gates isn’t as pretentious as a Chevy or Ford on the highway.
1 Ford Focus
The Ford The Focus was Gates’ most economical ride. For $15,000, he may have driven it for all we know. The electric blue Ford hatchback was powered by a diesel engine.
It has dynamic handling and a fun reputation. For Gates, the Focus was a great commuter car for commuting from Seattle to Redmond to the Microsoft offices.