FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem told Jeremy Clarkson 'I'm not that rich' after choosing to drive Ferrari F50 from his huge collection

The current FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has quite a taste for fast cars, but as he flexed his own Ferrari F50 from his huge collection, he told Jeremy Clarkson, ‘I’m not that rich’.

He may be in charge of the Formula 1 product as we know it, but Mohammed Ben Sulayem is no stranger to being behind the wheel.

Having been a rally driver in the ’80s, winning 14 championships in his time, he soon went into racing politics and began growing in stature, popularity, and wealth.

Now, the FIA President has a car collection to be reckoned with, although he plays it down. A lot.

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FIA President reveals typically lavish reason for spending his wealth on supercars

Current FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is set to stay in charge of Formula 1 for the next four years, as there appears to be no legitimate rivals to the F1 monarch’s throne.

But while he operates over Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, new arrivals like Audi, and opens the circuit to Cadillac, he also spends a lot of time in cars of his own.

Namely, models like a Ferrari F50.

But in an episode on Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson back in 1996, the then-rally driver revealed that he was ‘not rich’, but chose to spend his money on supercars because you should enjoy it while you can.

“I’m not that rich, but for rich people, what is enjoyment to them?” he said, staring at the ticking odometer of his Ferrari.

“When you die, I don’t think you have pockets in a coffin. You can’t take it with you,” he added.

Back then, he revealed that his favorite car was the Ferrari F50.

But that might have since changed, knowing how much his collection has expanded

How has his car collection evolved in the last 30 years?

Since the Top Gear episode, Mohammed Ben Sulayem has risen to power in racing politics and is now an elusive man when it comes to discussing his vehicles.

But he is known to love a V8 engine…

There are a number of his cars that are reportedly still in his ownership, though.

In addition to the Ferrari F50, he also stopped by the Rosso red dealership for an F50 and an Enzo.

Estimated to be ‘hundreds of cars large’ and worth around $75m, other showstoppers include a Jaguar XJ220, a Porsche 959, a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, and a Koenigsegg trifecta of Agera RS, Chimera, and Regera.

While unconfirmed, he’s also rumored to modify his cars, too, such as an apparent Mercedes SLK 55 AMG with an SLR engine upgrade.

The FIA President really does put his money where his mouth is.

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