Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac had his own Bugatti Chiron, a high-performance car costing at least $3 million, stolen from the company’s factory in Croatia after he left the keys inside.
In a social media video Thursday, Mr. Rimac, a Croatian national, said that “I am so proud of Croatia being so safe that I’m very relaxed, meaning also that I always leave my keys inside my cars.” He said he will no longer do so.
In a subsequent video that Mr. Rimac posted, a man in a hooded sweatshirt can be seen standing next to the car and finishing his cigarette, before getting in the open car and driving off with it. The Chiron’s price can top $4 million, depending on the options.
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Mr. Rimac said that because the car is often being driven by others for various reasons, “We only noticed because someone walked in and said ‘hey guys I saw this person driving your car, he probably stole it.’ … I immediately call the police.”
Data taken in real time from the car showed that it was heading northwest towards Slovenia. Mr. Rimac said that he got into his own Porsche 911 and began a chase after the Bugatti, which had a one-hour head start.
The thief ultimately made it through Slovenia into Austria to the north, before being caught by Austrian police who were provided the real-time data from the Chiron, Mr. Rimac said.
Bugatti confirmed to Croatian news site Dnevnik that the suspect was not a Bugatti employee or connected to Mr. Rimac.
Mr. Rimac said that while he is declining to press charges, the suspect will face prosecution by both Croatian and Austrian authorities due to the monetary value of the vehicle.
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