Microsoft Corporation cofounder Bill Gates led the lucrative 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.
As a pioneer in data and personal computing, the Seattle-born Gates once partnered with Apple Computer and collaborated with CEO Steve Jobs. The partnership notoriously ended in 1985 when Microsoft released Windows 1.0, its first operating system. Jobs turned against Gates, believing Gates borrowed too heavily from Apple. Their rivalry never ended, even as they ruled Silicon Valley.
So, how much is Gates worth after a generation of reigning over your operating system, developing Xbox, and being identified as a known genius? Quite a bundle. Even after all his copious philanthropy, Gates is still worth over $100 billion.
Like most billionaires, he owns an impressive collection of cars, and he has plenty of space to park them. One of his sprawling mansions can garage 23 cars. He also owns four private jets, two of which are luxury aircraft–$70 million a piece.
But this is what we’re here for. Looking inside Bill Gates’ car collection, we see an array of power, performance, luxury, and exotic breeds.
10Porsche 959 Sport
The Porsche 959 was a technological wonder. The all-wheel drive supercar was fastidiously engineered to dominate in a specialized, ’80s-style rally racing competition. It is a car of legends, yet a daily driver. It’s also rare. Only 345 examples were made.
The 1986 Porsche 959 was not street legal, but Gates tried to import one anyway. Lacking a catalytic converter and sent to market sans crash-test dummy sacrificial models, the NHTSA refused to admit it to the States. Gates fought the law, and he won, but the battle dragged on for 13 years before he could take ownership.
91979 Porsche 911
The first car Bill Gates bought was a 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo. Testing the 911’s top speed with seemingly unbridled enthusiasm, Gates racked up three speeding tickets on day one in Albuquerque, Microsoft’s original headquarters.
The third infraction sent him to jail. Paul Allen, Microsoft cofounder and childhood friend of Gates, bailed his colleague out. The two founded the then start-up software company in New Mexico four years prior, not long after Gates dropped out of Harvard. The car is no longer in his car collection. The 911 was last sold at auction for about $80,000 in 2012.
8Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo
The Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo was launched out of Stuttgart September 2019. It is Porsche’s first electric vehicle and Porsche-loving Bill Gates was one of the first buyers, happily paying its market price of $185,000. People took note, pointing out that Silicon’s billionaire had passed on Tesla Model X.
In a YouTube interview, Gates confirmed his purchase choice. Discussing premium-priced electric vehicles, Gates exclaimed:
I just got a Porsche Taycan, which is an electric car, and I have to say, it is very, very cool. It’s my first electric car, and I’m enjoying it a lot.
His comment sounds totally understated, yet momentous at the same time. A flash of pure joy in his eyes says it all.
7Ferrari 348
Bill Gates’ cars collection includes a rare Ferrari that is the envy of any Ferrari enthusiast. It’s a mid-engine 3.4-liter V8 sports car, hence the “348” designation. It was one of 8,000 units. More significantly, however, is that the Ferrari 348 was the last model designed by Enzo Ferrari, the original Italian automaker.
The 1989 Ferrari 348 is a two-passenger supercar that can go for $160,000. Gates drove his Ferrari, it was not a trailer baby. He notoriously took it for a spin in the sand which earned the car the nickname “dune buggy.”
6Rolls-Royce Ghost
The 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost is a high-end luxury sedan. It is extravagant and comfortable with more refined in cabin features than you can shake a stick at. As a descendant of the Phantom, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is just as cushy but slightly smaller. All Rolls-Royce vehicles are hand built from the engine to the paint, and completely customizable.
A twin-turbo V12 gives the Ghost up to 592 horsepower, in the Black Badge trim, which is likely in Gates’ private collection. These cars are pricey. A 2022 Ghost is valued at around $340,000.
5BMW 7-Series
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The 2009 BMW 7 Series was the first bulletproof car ever made. It’s like something 007 would drive. It’s an armored luxury vehicle with extensive protective features, like shutting off the ventilation system and piping in internal fresh air supplies if cabin air is compromised. Furthermore, it’s reinforced with steel armor plating to make it bulletproof. In fact, a 2009 BMW 760Li met the requirements of the VR7 ballistic protection level.
How cool is that? The top trim 760Li sedan had a powerful V12 engine, with other trims offering a V8. Something tells us this billionaire techie went with the bulletproof V12 version.
Protection is pricey, and this luxury sedan sold for about $158,000, depending on the trim. Full protection included bulletproof tires.
4Tesla Model X
Here is the only proof out there that Bill Gates might own a Tesla Model X. He is seen driving one for an episode of his blog, Gates Notes. Behind the wheel of an electric blue Model X, with body paint very close to the exact hue of his Ford Focus, Gates is interviewing sci-fi writer Neal Seveneves. The two discuss Earth apocalypse following a lunar explosion while taking in a couple of diet cokes with lunch.
Elon Musk publicly attacked Gates for buying a Porsche Taycan. Out of envy, perhaps, or since the Microsoft maestro criticized Tesla, ever so slightly, complaining Tesla did not offer an electric car the masses could afford. Gates argued that electrification needs to be broadly available for addressing climate issues.
3Mercedes-Benz S-Class
We know Gates loves Porsche, but he also appreciates German engineering at Mercedes-Benz. His 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class was a daily driver, and he was spotted 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 race to speeds up to 155. It’s fair to say Gates isn’t testing top speeds anymore, unless he’s on a track.
2Chevrolet Suburban
We all know the Chevy Suburban, one of the most popular makes ever produced out of Chevrolet. It was not much for Gates to put down about $60,000 for the quintessential SUV, and it was not a very climate-friendly choice, but he used it for daily driving around Washington and the Seattle area. It’s roomy and practical and Gates is not pretentious enough to mind a Chevy or a Ford in his driveway.
1Ford Focus
The Ford Focus was Gates’ most economical ride. At $15,000, he may have picked it up at a drive-thru, for all we know. The zippy electric blue Ford hatchback ran with a diesel powerplant.
