Florida billionaire Herbert A. Wertheim buys first production Ferrari Luce for $40 million

Florida billionaire and longtime Apple investor Herbert A. Wertheim has paid $40 million for the first production Ferrari Luce, the automaker’s first fully electric production car. The 87-year-old investor bought Apple shares when the company went public in 1980 and is known for holding onto his investments for decades. The Ferrari Luce he bought, has been designed in collaboration with LoveFrom, the creative studio founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and designer Marc Newson. The car, known as Chassis 0, was sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey for more than 36 times its $1.1 million presale estimate.

Herbert A. Wertheim bought the first production Ferrari Luce at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction. The entire $40 million hammer price will go to the Ferrari Foundation. The car is marked as Chassis 0, giving it a special place in the Luce’s production history. Ferrari’s Tailor Made division also created a unique specification for the vehicle. The car has a one-off Madreperla Semi-Gloss finish that can shift between green and violet depending on the lighting and viewing angle. The interior uses Perla Le Mans metallic leather with Grigio Corvara details.

Herbert A. Wertheim's connection with Apple goes back to the company's 1980 IPO. He bought shares when Apple went public and continued building his position over the years. Forbes reported in 2019 that Wertheim owned 1.25 million Apple shares, which were then worth about $195 million. His portfolio has also included companies such as Microsoft, Google, GE, BP and Bank of America. The Ferrari purchase has a connection to Apple's design history because the Luce was created in collaboration with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by Jony Ive after his long career at Apple. Ive played a key role in the design of several major Apple products, including the iPhone and Apple Watch.

The Luce is Ferrari's first fully electric production automobile. The car uses four electric motors that together produce 1,036 horsepower. Ferrari claims the Luce can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds, while its top speed is around 193 mph. The car uses a 122-kWh battery and has a claimed range of about 329 miles under the WLTP standard. It can support charging at up to 350kW.