Lionel Rogers (seen with his wife Mary) made his fortune in tech, selling Talon Technology – later Navman – to the giant conglomeration Brunswick for $108 million in 2004.
Sure, he still has a couple of business interests (particularly app maker Experieco). But that appears to be very much in the back seat. For Rogers, it’s all about cars.
His $18 million Parnell mansion is stocked with some of the country’s finest classic cars, including Ferraris, a Maserati and a Ford Model A Tourer. His main passion centres on Bugatti, the classic French sports car manufacturer that turned out a succession of beautiful and fast cars from the 1920s until the 1940s (modern reboot notwithstanding).
Rogers owns genuine Type 13 and Type 44s and a replica Type 55. He was most recently busy with his exquisite Type 59/50S replica, which was shown at the French Vintage Revival Montlhéry in May. Bugattis are some of the world’s most exclusive and expensive cars; owning just one is considered notable, let alone four.
He’s also reportedly hands on, frequently getting under the bonnet to fix a troubling problem or two.
Photo: Stuff
2018: $115 million