How many hide their Ferrari from employees?

The 930 turbo in the cold dry winter days the 355 spider in the spring and summer and the Amg clk55 all other times. My employees better not give me any **** about what I'm driving. I show up at work early and leave late, thats the nature of owning your own business. Why not have the fruits of your labor on display. I believe I am setting a goal for my employees to achieve. If they desire beautiful cars, homes,boats bikes etc, they better be prepared to make huge committment that many of us successful business people. Also I feel that these cars are for driving not posing. So be happy shifting a 8k. The Tubi on my 355 just makes the most amazing music.

 

Ummm, Not Exactly She has a full compliment of Hubbell switches & junction boxes on board. The trailer is also decked out with Hubbell products. So is the house

 

You're not crazy. Well said. Amen. Too many jealous haters out there. Work hard, play hard. Or just play hard.

 

I saw a story on our local newscast tonight concerning a farmer, let's say his name was Joe, and the local rainfall amounts. It made mention that the same land had been in Joe's family since 1843. Joe looked to be about 50 years old. That means that Joe's land was, in essence, already "in his name" over 100 years BEFORE he was born. It also meant that a wanna-be farmer who lived down the road from Joe was already BEHIND in his quest to be a farmer by OVER 100 years the DAY THAT HE WAS BORN when compared to Joe. When I read that everybody has the same chance as the next guy I just shake my head. Joe had a 100 year head start on the next guy. Same thing happens with alot of other folks in other areas as well.
I also read another story in a magazine about an Arkansas plantation owner who ran a big farm up until he died in the mid 1970s. It made mention how the farmer owned a vacation home in Michigan and an apartment in Memphis, Tennesse where he would take trips with his wife. But it also mentioned the sharecropper's one roomed shacks on the farm where many of his workers lived. This was NOT way back in the 1860s. It was in 1950s and 1960s Arkansas. It was quite difficult to swallow the whole glowing story of this farmer's success when you knew that alot of his money came from the back breaking labor of poor sharecroppers who almost literally "owed their soul to the company store". It said that the sharecroppers were paid for their crops, but that their bill at the company story was deducted from the amount of payment. Many times, the sharecroppers were left with only a few dollars. But the farmer still lived in the BIG house and took shopping trips to Memphis and vacations in Michigan. And everybody probably thought he was a wonderfully successful guy.

I wonder if the sharecroppers thought that he was such a great guy?

 

I still think that your employees, patients and customers need to see your Ferrari if you want any hope of seducing them!

 

Hey Dave,

I never noticed that you live in Villanova.
I lived in Garrett Hill for awhile when I took a few courses there.
I still have property over by Audabon and I'm moving back up there in a year or two.
Have a place for a new employee? Love to see the Dino.

 

A lot has changed in the past half century. At the time that was written, those sharecroppers most likely had no chance for a good education, no shot at owning their own land or business, and certainly no government subsidies to help them "get on their feet".

Times have changed. People are no longer "tied to the land" in the way they used to be.

What you mentioned about many people having a head start is very true. In 23 days, I will become the first person in my family EVER to graduate college (or even attend for that matter). Both of my parents worked, yet combined they never made over $50k/ year. They paid for my private education from K-12. I busted my butt, used my brain, and got almost $70k in college financial aid (only about $10k need-based, the rest academically EARNED).

My children will break the cycle of having to start at the ground floor. Anyone else can do this. Working smart and hard will overcome a lot of obstacles.

 

It might be 23 days early but I want to extend my congratulations. You and your family must be very proud. You decided what you wanted and made it happen. Excuses are all too easy to come by. Instead of making excuses about your lack of opportunity you worked hard to realize your goals. You didn't settle ... you will be a great role model for your children.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!
Janet

 

Hehehe... that makes me chuckle. Is there anyone here who would admit they were being paid TOO much? I never had an employee tell me that. I'd love to see an NBA player negociating with an owner saying "No.... I'm only worth 2.6 a year. Don't pay me 3.2." The "employee mentality" is always that "they are making money for the boss."

Before selling my business, I drove my Ferraris to work and parked them in my reserved parking spot. Everyone in the company knew I owned them, and they are a symbol of the risk and hard work I undertook in starting the company. We had a great work environment where I paid my employees fairly and provided excellent benefits. If they thought they should get more, I told them the wonderful thing about America and "at will" employment is that they were free to find another job paying them what they thought they were worth, or they could start their OWN business. None of my 300 employees ever took me up on it.

If anyone thinks they are not being paid enough, they should either a) find a new job that WILL pay them what they think they are worth, b) start their own business - which is the ultimate form of the commission-only job where you really ARE paid what you are worth, or c) stay quiet, collect the paycheck, and show some gratitude and respect for the person whose name appears on the signature line and who showed creativity and took risk to be in a position to sign that check.

 

That's all well and good, but I work for the Govt. as a Civil Servant (ie. my salary is paid directly with TAX DOLLARS, so essentially I work for the general public). I pretty much hide my Ferrari from everyone.

When I first started working for Uncle Sam, I bought a 328 and took it to work once.....somehow the question came over the building loudspeaker system as to "what Michael paid for the Ferrari" since I was a jr. Engineer just two years out of College. I didn't get any grief from fellow employees - one was a 'closeted' Saleen Mustang racer who tuned me in to FCA - he got track-time from them by being a member. But ever since, I've been known at work as the Exotic Car Guy, having owned an unusual Porsche when I first moved here. I'm single, with no children, and luckily there are more than a few people in the office with enough brain cells to rub together that can do the math - I don't have the expenses that people with families to support will.....many know of my desire to buy a Ferrari, but nobody knows that I actually bought one last January!

Would I ever drive it to work? Uh, NO! There are enough contractors and other idiots here who 'can't do the math' - my BOSS is one of them. He still thinks Ferraris cost in excess of $500,000. They investigate people who show 'unexplained opulence', which carries back to the days of John Walker's Espionage scandal. I've seen posters in DoD spaces where a picture of a Ferrari F50 is used to encourage people to 'report on' their fellow coworkers if they show 'unexplained wealth'. Yep, Uncle Sam encourages Civil Servants to 'look poor/be poor' to avoid upsetting the American Taxpayer - I guess we should all just work for free, then. As if I need to sit in a dark room (again) and answer more questions about my background, my affiliations, how I feel about the President, etc. etc. etc......Questions (to my coworkers) about my Porsche came up during official background investigations for Security Clearance upgrades.....

Life at home is different. But then again, I live in a neighborhood where Technical jobs are scarce, so when the neighbors ask what I do for a living, I make their heads spin so much that they think I'm some kind of 'brilliant scientist' and they leave me alone.

 

Hide it? H@ll, word got out to many in my industry i have one and also include pic of it within articles about once a year. i offer many of them to come to my place, stay a few days and go for fun rides. Then again many of them also realize that it took MANY years of hard work to earn having one here so they are happy to see a dream come true.

 

I don't really hide my Ferrari from my employees but I certainly don't make a point of it bringing it to their attention. I am sure they probably know I have one, just like they know I have other expensive hobbies (road racing and helicopter flying) but these are just topics that aren't brought up or really that important in the work place. I already feel self-concious about the car in public so I drive a Ford Focus to work and most places. Having a Ferrari to me is best enjoyed on the open road without anyone else around or perhaps with others that have similar cars on a day trip. I also enjoy it just looking at it periodically like a piece of art in the privacy of my own garage. I get ribbed from my friends and other people in my field (who know my passion for cars) about the Focus but it is much more tolerable and good natured than about 30% of the negative reactions the Ferrari gets.... Generally I find that people that are "car buffs" are ok to have the Ferrari around because they appreciate it for what it is (a marvelous car) but, those who see it more as a status symbol tend to have a higher percentage of negative outcomes.

 

So true. Kudos to you.

JPR

 

If they don't like the idea that you make a great deal of money and like to enjoy it, tell them to go through ten years of medical school. Then they can open their own practice and buy their own Ferraris.

It's odd how easily they forget the reason why they have their jobs in the first place-- your hard earned expertise.

Drive on....!

 

Indeed.

 

In your situation, modesty and discretion are truly golden. I have a relative who is a civil servant who went through grief over the location of the home she bought.

 

Your view is the original "have" from which all other "haves" come. And those who "hate" and "envy" are the first and last "have nots" from which all other "have nots" come.

Much success to you.

JPR

 

I do not believe it is in your best intrest to drive your F car to work. Point in case, when I bought a renovated a new office building 90% of my employees came to me for a raise, even my most entrusted. I tried to create a magnificent workplace for all to work and I did. Within 3 months they all wanted an increase or other perks. I was so disallsuioned. I can not forget how disallussioned I felt so I keep ALL my personal information to myself but believe me, it kills me not to drive an F car to work on those clear sunny days. Now only a very select few know about them and even this is risky. I agree that there is an upside to letting motor head customers or buisness acquaintenances that you trust knowing what you own.

Now the funny reply. A former employee and still friend of the company, asked me what kind of sports car I was driving (had a corvette before). I told him in a sheepish way that I had 3 Ferrari's. He said, "Yeah right, get the hell out of here". I laughed like hell because I spoke the truth and savoried the moment. Now for anyone I don't want to know, I tell them the truth, beautiful thing.

Man, I just wish one day I could drive to work without repricussions, geuss in my next life but hell with the F car this life is too good to move on.

My apologies for any incorrect spelling but I am too lazy to do a speligign cheidhck.

 

What kind of Ferrari do you have?

 

My magic crystal ball says he has: 328 GTS, testarossa,355 Spider .

 

The worst part of this dilemma is if you are actually not a rich dude (i.e. me) and you have two cheap Ferraris (a 308 and a Mondial) which combined are worth what a BMW 530 costs, and yet everyone thinks you must be a millionaire because they think all Ferraris cost over $100K. I spend my life explaining to people that "classic" Ferraris are affordable for normal people.

Birdman

 

I don't let my staff know, that way they don't hit me up for raises!

 

HI GUYS
I HAD ONE OF THE LARGEST SIGN BUSINESS IN FLORIDA,AND HOW IT
BECAME THE LARGEST....LIKE A EARLIER POSTER REPLY...
I BOUGHT A NEW 1886 ROLLS ROYCE SILVER SPUR THEN..THROUGH THE
BUSINESS...WHEN EXECUITIVES FLY IN TO INSPECT THE SIGNS FROM
EXXON, TEXICO,MOBIL,7 ELEVEN,FARM STORES..ETC...
I SEND MY DRIVER TO PICK THEM UP AT THE AIR PORT...TAKE THEM
TO THE EMBASSY SUITES...WINE & DINE THEM...THATS HOW I GET
MORE BUSINESS...BECAUSE MY BUSINESS WAS DOING GOOD & THEY
WANT THAT FROM A SIGN SHOP..THEY WERE IMPRESS...FOR THE
BALANCE OF THEIR LIVES THEY WILL NEVER FORGET THE RIDE IN A
ROLLS ROYCE...I AM NOW 58 LOOKING TO BUY A 355 FOR STARTING OVER.
UNTIL I SELL MY GRAND BANKS 42' YACHT..
THEN A NEW MODENA..
I ALSO HAD A EXCALIBER,FERRARI 308 ,MEREEDES 500 SL,OPERA COUPES,1987 PORSCHE
928S4,6 DIFFERENT PORSCHE 911..ETC
THANKS
MARK

 

I hope you mean 1986 Otherwise, you're really old!