Man with $20B net worth allegedly put in a car order so big it made Mercedes shut down its factory
- Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan is known as ‘Rainbow Sheikh’
- His array of rainbow Mercedes cars is incredible
- The order was so big it reportedly shut down a Mercedes factory
Published on Apr 03, 2025 at 10:46 AM (UTC+4)
by Jack Marsh
Last updated on Apr 03, 2025 at 12:05 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
One billionaire reportedly put in a custom order so big that it forced a Mercedes factory to temporarily shut down.
As far as private orders go in the car industry, many take months or even years to arrive.
But that wasn’t the case for this Saudi billionaire.
Allegedly, Mercedes halted its production in one factory to produce a fleet of cars so bespoke and in such a timely manner that it needed the full focus of the staff.
VISIT SBX CARS – View live supercar auctions powered by Supercar Blondie
‘Rainbow Sheikh’ once reportedly shut down Mercedes for a personal order
Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan, also known as the ‘Rainbow Sheikh’, has arguably the most epic car collections in the world.
With a net worth of $20 billion, the Abu Dhabi royal has a flavor for weird and wonderful cars, specifically those that range in size – the bigger the better.
But he allegedly earned his nickname for shutting down Mercedes production with an extremely tight deadline order consisting of multiple W126 Mercedes Benz S-Class cars.
In the Emirates National Auto Museum, which he owns, the Sheikh houses a fleet of rainbow-colored Mercs.
One S-Class is painted in the oscillating colors of a rainbow.
Others are painted one solid-block color to mimic those in the color refraction paradigm.
It’s not just the outside that is painted in solid colors either, the interiors are also completely colored – everything from the floors to the air conditioning vents.
The colorful array of cars is currently on display in his museum, which also boasts the world’s biggest Hummer that has its own kitchen and two floors of interior space.
His portfolio of cars includes everything from custom-made 40-foot trucks to an 1885 Benz Motorwagen (widely regarded as the first-ever automobile).
The Rainbow Sheikh’s car collection is among the biggest and most varied.
His collection is only rivaled by a few others, including the magnificent Bernie Ecclestone F1 car collection which recently sold in its entirety for more than $650 million.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
