Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac learned an expensive lesson after leaving the keys inside his own luxury car. His Bugatti Chiron, worth millions of dollars, was stolen from the company’s factory in Croatia, he revealed on social media. The thief managed to drive across borders before Austrian police tracked him down using data from the car.
How the Chiron was stolen
In a social media video on Thursday, Rimac, a Croatian national, said: “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 that.
Rimac posted a second video. It shows a man in a hooded sweatshirt standing next to the car and finishing his cigarette. He then gets into the open car and drives off. The Chiron’s price can go above $4 million, depending on the options.
Rimac said the car is often driven by other people for different reasons. He said: “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.”
How was the stolen Bugatti recovered?
{{/usCountry}}How was the stolen Bugatti recovered?
{{/usCountry}}The real-time data from the car showed it was heading northwest towards Slovenia. Rimac said he got into his own Porsche 911 and began chasing the Bugatti, which had a one-hour head start.
According to Rimac, the thief made it through Slovenia and into Austria, to the north. Austrian police then caught him. Rimac said the police were given the real-time data from the Chiron.
Suspect and what happens next
Bugatti told the Croatian news site Dnevnik that the suspect was not a Bugatti employee and was not connected to Rimac.
Rimac said he is not pressing charges. But as per the Washington Times, the suspect will still face prosecution from both Croatian and Austrian authorities because of the value of the car.
Mate Rimac’s career
According to his LinkedIn profile, Rimac has been the CEO of Bugatti Rimac since November 2021. Since January 2026, he is also its Chief Technology Officer.
As per LinkedIn, he is the founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili, a role he has held since 2009. He was also CEO of Rimac Technology from January 2022 to February 2026.
His profile shows he was CEO of Project 3 Mobility from September 2019 to January 2022, and its Chairman from January 2022 to February 2026.
Earlier, he was the founder and CEO of Greyp Bikes from January 2013 to January 2022.