In the world of business and making profit, successful entrepreneurs have all the bases covered; their brains are computers perpetually clicking away and processing data passed on by their minions. When they sense a good deal, they jump on it, but how do such brains process the data available when it comes to a car’s spec sheet?
One of the main concerns when buying a new car is money, but to a successful entrepreneur money is of no object. Some maybe frivolous and go all out on the latest fire-breathing Lamborghini, or the more pragmatic entrepreneur of whom profit and limiting expenditure is of the upmost importance may opt for something robust, economical, eco-friendly or even diesel.
So out of the empire Kings and queen, who drives what?
Richard Branson
I’ll start with this chap, as being a fellow Brit I have grown up hearing about his business and challenge ventures on the news. From starting up a tiny record store called Virgin, this man now owns his own island, two private jets and spends his past time messing about with hot air balloons and jet packs. He has literally reached dizzying new heights and depths – from deep-sea exploration in his own submarine to space travel with his Virgin Galactic Company, this great business mind isn’t one to sit behind a desk in an office.
I’m sure Richard Branson travels in many luxury cars when touring around cities so I have left out the usual Mercedes S-classes and Rolls Royces and listed three of his own personal rides.
Humber Super Snipe
Humber Super Snipe is a classic convertible car drives by Richard Branson.
Saab 9-5 BioPower
A pretty boring fuel efficient geography teacher’s car.
1968 Morris Mini-Minor
Richard Branson’s Morris Mini Minor is one of the rare antique cars on the globe. Belonging to an era when small cars ruled, the Morris Minor was a British economy car that debuted in 1948. Initially available as a 2-door saloon and convertible, the range was subsequently expanded to include a 4-door saloon in 1950.
James Caan
Initially working for his father’s leather jacket firm, at 18 years old, Caan shifted into the recruitment sector. Just six years on and he founded his own company, eventually selling his stake for £25M. Caan has since set up Hamilton Bradshaw, and from 2007, he has been one of the investors on BBC’s Dragons’ Den. This year he launched the Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy (EBA) to encourage, train and advise small businesses.
Caan has owned more than 25 cars, and like me, his first car was an MGB, a car he learned to drive in. After that he owned a few Porsches, the 911 Turbo and the 928 S4. Apart from a Toyota Celica, a convertible BMW M5, Caan has owned four Rolls-Royce Corniches, five Spirits and various Bentleys.
Caan’s pride and joy is an 80s Aston Martin V8 he won at one of Elton John’s auctions. It had only covered a few hundred miles and looked brand new as Elton had so many cars, most were just kept in storage.
Bill Gates
How could I leave the computer guy out? Virtually every living soul on earth has profited Bill Gates buy using his Microsoft computer program, which gave the universe that little operating system called Windows. I’d go as far as saying Gates is one of the most influential men of the past century.
Aside from all that geeky stuff, Gates is fascinated with vehicles. Although has enough cash to paper mache his way to the moon, Gates has been seen behind the wheel of a Ford Focus – perhaps he likes the car’s functionality? Like Caan, Gates loves Porsche, his collection including the 911 Carrera, the 930 (bought in Microsoft’s early days) and one of the most famous supercars, the Ferrari F40 challenging 959.
Peter Jones
At 16 years of age, steering clear of the teenage clichés of alcohol, parties and girls, Peter Jones founded a tennis academy. Not entirely successful, Peter didn’t give up, and in his twenties, he started his own computer business. Again, a cash flow problem and inexperience ended his venture. After a hiatus, Jones worked for Siemens to run the UK computer business, and a few years later he started his own telecom company, Phones International Group.
He is also one of the dragons on Dragon’s Den, and his face is now familiar Stateside, as his show American Inventor hauls in over 14M viewers. With a net worth of £450M and a passion for cars, this can only end well.
It starts quite well too, as owning an Alfa Romeo Alfasud as a first car automatically puts him in the petrolhead club. We’ll get the Ferrari, Porsche and Bentley out of the way and make way for the more unique Maybach 62.
Sir Alan Sugar
Sir Alan Michael Sugar started his almighty empire simply selling car aerials out of the back of a van.
Sugar opted out of education aged 16 and began selling electrical items. Five years on and he registered the name Amstrad, the same company he started from his van. The company title was devised taking letters from his own name: Alan Michael Sugar [trad]ing.
Sugar is best known today from the TV series the Apprentice, a reality show where young upstarts compete tasks to win landing a job working for the cockney Tycoon.
Part of Sugar’s car collection includes a Range Rover, a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Classic Rolls Royce and a Bentley Continental GT – pretty standard in the world of jet set business travel.
The car pictured below however, the one of the far left, is a Bentley S1 Continental Two Door Fast Back Coupé by H.J. Mulliner 1955 – 1959. Oh yeah, it previously belonged to that singer bloke, Sir Elton John.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump was born into business, and after working alongside his father/mentor for five years, he gained valuable knowledge of the construction sector. The Trump signature followed as some extremely prestigious buildings like the Fifth Avenue skyscraper claimed worldwide notoriety.
The Trump name gained momentum in 2004 as Donald created the reality show the Apprentice, the original BBC version Sir Alan Sugar starred in a year later. In fact, the Trump name is now so big, he recently received an honour for his contribution to the series by having his own star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
So what does someone with two Boeing 757s, 2 helicopters (one being one of those cool army Chinooks), a golf course, a winery, and many homes actually drive?
Forget the Rolls Royce Phantoms and Bentleys, as when you have this much cash, they are but mere modes of transport. Money may be of no object but how about something with a little flare?
How about a McLaren SLR 722? Yes, that 5.4-L supercharged German V8 should satiate any Billionaire’s auto apatite. 0-62-mph in 3.4 seconds means arriving at the golf course nice and early.
Oprah Winfrey
Talk show royalty Oprah Winfrey became a household name, and by 1986 her show was aired across 100 US channels. Having grown up surrounded by poverty, by 1987 her production company was raking in a cool £125M USD annually. A Millionaire at 32 years of age, Oprah has gone on to influence and encourage reading through her book club, her selections immediately gaining the “Oprah Effect” in souring sales.
Oprah is also generous, very generous, so generous, in fact, that in 2004 she gave away 276 cars to every member of her audience.
Oprah has sold a Bentley Azure on eBay and recently auctioned off three classics, including a 1954 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing and an Aston Martin DB7 Volante.
Although she spends most of her time travelling in the back of stretched black cars, she has been spotted behind the wheel of a VW Beetle, the same model she gave away to her audience in 2010.
Some of you may wonder where that Simon Cowell chap is, but come on people, that high-heeled flattop and his Bugatti Veyron have seen way too much media coverage.
Oh go on then…
