The First Cars of Self-Made Millionaires — Is Your First Car on the List?
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Nupur Gambhir
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One of the highlights of wealth and fame — beyond, well, being rich and famous — is the sweet rides you get to enjoy. Cars that average folks, who haven’t dominated the world with their business acumen, technical wizardry and innovation or musical and theatrical talents, can only dream of.
But many of these millionaires and billionaires started out exactly where average people do, driving cars that average people do. In fact, you might find your own first — or current — set of wheels in a list of the cars that self-made millionaires in all industries used to claim.
Elon Musk – BMW 320i (E21)
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk bought his first car, a BMW 320i when he was 23 years old. In a Forbes interview, he said that he fixed the car up himself and drove it for two years before trading it in.
LeBron James – GMC Hummer
Boldness hasn’t just served LeBron James on the basketball court; it’s also guided his choice in a first car — a giant Hummer.
Mark Cuban – 1977 Fiat X1/9
One of the first cars that billionaire Mark Cuban owned was a 1977 Fiat X1/9 that famously had holes in the floorboards. A long way from the way he gets around these days.
Tom Cruise – Dodge Colt
Before he was leading the bad guys in epic car chases on the set of theMission Impossible movies or even owning the track in Days of Thunder, 18-year-old Tom Cruise drove a second-hand Dodge Colt.
Taylor Swift – Chevrolet Pickup Truck
On her 18th birthday, Swift received a very special gift from the president of the Nashville record label where she started her career — a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado truck. Like Swift herself, this car was far from an ordinary model: It was hot pink.
Vin Diesel – 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
It’s unsurprising that the star of the Fast and Furious franchise would be a big car buff or that his first car would be a Monte Carlo. What is surprising is that Diesel, who won the car at auction, would happily drive off the lot with it, though he wasn’t allowed to give it an inspection first. Also not surprising? The car supposedly started smoking as he brought it home and it broke down within a week.
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