Vehicles of Top Billionaires

Steve Ballmer is the Chief Executive of Microsoft, the owner and publisher of MSN Cars. He grew up in the US' motoring capital, Detroit. With oil running through his veins, one might assume that Ballmer would have a fleet of Ferraris, Porsches and Rolls-Royces. Wrong. Ballmer stays true to his Detroit roots by driving a 1998 Lincoln Continental. Though more sporty than Warren Buffet’s Lincoln Town Car (see below), Ballmer’s maroon Lincoln Continental is no red Ferrari.

Bill Gates is the founder and chairman of Microsoft, the owner and publisher of MSN Cars. He vents his software stress behind the wheel of two Porsches. His daily drive, a 1999 Porsche 911 Convertible is ripe for replacement, especially considering that Porsche has totally redesigned the latest 911, the 997, for 2005. Now, after waiting some 10 years, Gates can finally enjoy his other favorite Porsche: a rare (1 of 230) 1988 Porsche 959 Coupe.

Founder of the Swedish furniture and home goods company IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad is the proud owner of a 13-year-old Volvo 240 GL. Though he may own a Volvo, Kamprad still takes the bus and even uses his pensioners’ discount card, as he explained in a rare 1999 interview. Despite being a double-digit billionaire, Kamprad also still flies economy class and avoids luxury hotels. In fact, in his self-scribed 1976 Bible, “A Furniture Dealer's Testament,” Kamprad decries that “IKEA people do not drive flashy cars or stay at luxury hotels.” Indeed, Ingvar Kamprad practices what he preaches.



As the nephew of Saudi King Abdullah, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud is no stranger to the finer things in life. His free-spending attitude is easily seen in his garage, where he always buys a duplicate of every one of his vehicles. Two Infiniti FX45s, two Hummer H1s and two Volvo XC90s all take up residency inside the Prince’s lavish garage. The reason for such excess? The Prince buys one vehicle for himself and an exact duplicate for his body guards.

A glimpse inside the Prince’s garage also reveals a vehicular absurdity: parked next to two Daewoo Matiz’ are two Rolls-Royce Phantoms. The reason for such an odd placement? The Prince holds a significant stake in Daewoo, the Korean car company now controlled by GM.



Known as the “Oracle,” Larry Ellison does not shy from the limelight like some other billionaires on the list. He has a penchant for adventure, be it in his MIG fighter jet or his America’s Cup racing Yacht. As the most powerful luxury sedan, the Bentley Flying Spur provides Ellison with the perfect balance of driving exhilaration and four-door practicality.

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The soon to be trillionaire, Antz, Founder and CEO of The Terminator Blog, has a penchant for bikes. Cars have never been his cup of coffee, for he's never been in one. Unlike the rest of the lot mentioned above who are rarely seen in public conventions, you can see him zooming around on his Pulsar DTSi 150cc most of the time.