In 1988, Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, bought one of the rarest cars in the world—the Porsche 959. At the time, it was the fastest street-legal production car ever made and a dream for any car lover. But Gates didn’t know that buying this car would turn into a 13-year-long waiting game that cost him thousands of dollars in fines.
The Porsche 959 was no ordinary car. It had a 2.85-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine, an advanced suspension system, and a body made from Kevlar and aluminum. This engineering masterpiece could reach 60 mph in under four seconds and had a top speed of 200 mph. Only 337 of these cars were ever built, making it a rare gem for collectors.
Gates, already a fan of fast cars with a Porsche 911 and 930 Turbo in his garage, couldn’t resist adding the 959 to his collection. But there was a big problem. The car was not approved for road use in the United States.
When the Porsche 959 arrived at the Port of Seattle, U.S. Customs stopped it immediately. The car did not meet American safety standards and did not comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions standards. Instead of allowing Gates to take it home, officials stored the car in a Foreign-Trade Zone warehouse.
Gates had a choice—send the car back to Europe or wait. He chose to wait. To keep the car legally bonded, he agreed to pay a $28 daily fine. “That’s $28 a day, mind you,” said a source. “It doesn’t sound like much for a billionaire, but over 13 years, it added up fast.”
In total, Gates spent more than $133,000 in fines, equal to about $300,000 today. He also had to pay a $500 annual bond renewal fee to keep his claim on the car.
Even with his massive fortune, Bill Gates surely didn’t expect to be paying for 13 years. But this wasn’t just about money. It was about passion. “Why didn’t Gates just give up?” one Porsche fan asked. “Because even billionaires fall in love with cars. This was his dream.”
At the time, U.S. laws were strict. Authorities banned any car that did not meet the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Environmental Protection Agency rules from import, no matter how rare or important it was.
But Gates and other car lovers pushed for change. Their efforts helped inspire a new federal law in 1999 called the “Show or Display” rule. This rule allowed people to import certain rare and historically significant cars under strict conditions, such as driving them no more than 2,500 miles per year.
By 2001, Bill Gates finally got the green light to take his Porsche 959 home. After 13 years and thousands of dollars, he could now legally drive the car on American roads. “This wasn’t just a car for him,” said an automotive expert. “It became a symbol of patience and passion.”
Today, the Porsche 959 is one of the most sought-after collector cars in the world. Some models are now worth over $1 million, meaning Gates’ wait may have been a smart financial move too. But for Gates, it was never about the money. A car historian said, “Even with a net worth of over $100 billion, Gates showed us that passion is priceless.”
