A young, wealthy Swiss man torched his Ferrari in an attempt to get a newer model

By Miles Branman August 12, 2015

What do you get for the young man who has everything? Apparently, a box of matches.

A Swiss publication, 20 Minutes, is reporting that a 20-year-old male set fire to his Ferrari 458 Italia, which was given to him by his father, in an attempt to collect the insurance payout for a newer model. The young man reportedly visited a Ferrari dealer last year, where an employee convinced him to destroy his car so he could afford an upgraded model.

Regardless of the fact that this young gentleman already had 14 other exotic vehicles (all previous gifts) or that he had a real estate portfolio worth about $30 million, or that he received a monthly allowance of $5,000 to $10,000, he still was driven to torch his car.

The man recruited three accomplices, including someone working for the Ferrari dealership, to take his 458 Italia to Germany to end its life. Once the four men found a good spot, the owner went to a massage parlor while the others set fire to the car. Unfortunately for the group, security camera footage and telephone recordings pinned them to the crime.

The above information was uncovered during a court hearing in Augsburg, Germany, where the 20-year-old was sentenced to 22 months of probation and was fined $33,000. As for the accomplices, each received probations of between 14 and 16 months.

And the young man’s defense for his scheme? He lacked the courage to tell his daddy that he didn’t like his Ferrari anymore. Seems like a reasonable excuse, no?

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