Does Bill Gates have any car collection

I saw on the news Bill Gates is worth 55 billion and made 5 billion last year. That is $475 per second given an 8 hour work day 7 days per week. So I was wondering if he has any car collection and if any Ferraris? I know I would have 2 of each cool car, on for show and on to drive if I made 13.7 million dollars per day. Comprehending these numbers is about as hard as understanding the speed of light or the vastness of the universe. I can quote the numbers but cannot comprehend the magnitude.
Anyway back to the auction on speed

 

I don't know about Bill Gates, but Jon Shirley (ex President of MS) has one of the best vintage Ferrari collections.

 

I don't think he does, but I read somewhere that he has a Porsche. Might have been a 959!

EDIT: Just read that he has a 1999 911 Convertible and a 1988 959

 

Apparently his collection is unexceptional by F-chat standards, just the 959, one of the two or three built. The 959 was vanquished by the F40 back in it's day.

http://www.goldenrider.com/bill-gates-cars/

This link shows the ultra-gaudy vette limo, truly tasteless. But the "Boy Billionaire" apparently is not a tifosi. The list, or all the lists I've seen, mention no Ferris. I did see
a Lotus race car. Not much there really....

 

Really? They built two or three 959s?

I saw nine in one building while I was in Germany in July.

 

Warren Buffet drives a Cadillac DTS, which he bought to replace an old Lincoln, as a show of support when GM was in trouble.

 

Not quite. 337 was the number - along the lines of the CGT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_959

Jedi

 

Only 3 were imported into the US by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Jerry Seinfeld.

Gates and Allen are responsible for the "show and display" law as Gates had his impounded by customs for 13 years.

 

My understanding was the Gates' 959 was a prototype, and had to be Federalized before he could even have it delivered. There's something about some Federal law being changed.

I don't think his was one of the 337 produced. I was confusing that with "importing".........

Sorry for any confusion. Again, I was under the impression that his was a prototype. The car was originally developed for the ill-fated group B rallying, which killed the 288 GTO, Lancia Delta S4, and others.
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I believe his favorite car is a '65 Mustang Convertible. He has a collection but I am not sure what is in it.

 

Do you know how many there are in the US now? I saw Ralph Lauren driving his silver one outside of my house a few weeks ago.

 

back in the day he had an F40 and 348

he is/was a car guy, remember he was the money behind Andy Evans/Scandia racing (endurance raced Ferrari 333SP and later ran multiple Indycar teams)

 

As I recall, the F40 caused a local stir when Bill got a pretty massive speeding
ticket (talking early 90s here if memory serves). He didn't have "proof of insurance"
(newly implemented in WA), and ended up in court - making the case that there
is no car accident he could cause he couldn't just write a check to pay for. Resulted
in the "Financial Responsibility" clause in the mandatory insurance law in WA state.

Jedi

 

LOL! nice.

it's good to be king

 

The VIN of Gates 959 is WPOZZZ95ZJS900215 - it is listed as a 1988 model.

Prototypes for the 959 were built in 1985.

>8^)
ER

 

Also not quite. CGT production numbers were much closer to the F40 count at 1270 (1315 F40s).

337 959s would put it more in F50 production number territory (349+5ish).

Cheers,
Tad

 

May have changed, but besides the 996 Cab and 959, he has a
Black Corvette converted to a super stretch limo.

 

he does like to go fast, with or without a license, pic from his old Porsche days.
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Blame Mr. Buffet for influencing Mr. Gates for not spending on cars....

 

Steve I believe there are double that, legally imported to the US. Those three, Ralph Lauren and there is one in Michigan at the Lingenfelter Collection, and John Dixon of Ohio.

 

There are more than that in the US. I know someone who had one, and he wasn't on your list or famous.

Bill has always been a Porsche guy. Definitely a car guy, though.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if there were upwards of 40 959s in the USA.

I've seen 7 or 8 of them myself over the years.

>8^)
ER

 

Yes, I'm sorry. Meant to include " at least"

Kyle

 

I picture him driving a Prius. Hopefully, paid in full vs financed.

 

I saw several Porsche 959s at Canepa Design last month in their service bay. I may have asked how many 959s they have serviced/helped import...but I would have to look at my notes in my office.
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