He’s Only 10, but He Already Has a Ferrari: Boy Gifted a $1.6 Million Supercar

Most 10-year-olds dream of getting a LEGO set or a video game console for their birthday. Jean, the son of a Dutch car enthusiast, received something considerably more expensive for his 10th birthday — a Ferrari 599 GTO worth $1.6 million. And this isn’t just any rare supercar: Ferrari produced only 599 examples of the model.

Jean, the son of renowned Dutch car collector Jeroen van den Berg, better known on Instagram as thehomelessguy, celebrated his 10th birthday this month. His gift was a genuine Ferrari 599 GTO.

But perhaps the most remarkable part of the story is that the keys to the Ferrari were handed to Jean by another 10-year-old. His close friend Vic spent the day playing the role of a salesman at Hoefnagels dealership and personally presented the birthday boy with the keys to the supercar.

And the 599 GTO is far from being Jean’s first Ferrari. His garage already includes a Tailor Made version of the 488 Spider. So this clearly wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision by his father to buy his son an exotic car for his milestone birthday.

To understand just how extraordinary the story is, it helps to know who Jean’s father is. Jeroen van den Berg is a Dutch entrepreneur in his fifties who was previously included on the list of young wealthy Dutch people compiled by Quote magazine.

Van den Berg runs Carlink, a company specializing in importing and exporting rare and hard-to-find supercars, as well as supplying vehicles to corporate clients. Back in 2015, the entrepreneur estimated the company’s annual turnover at around $113 million.

His personal car collection reads like a wish list for an obsessive supercar enthusiast. Van den Berg bought a Bugatti Chiron together with DJ Afrojack, and the pair also brought one of the first next-generation Ford GTs to the Netherlands.

He also once owned the first production example of the Ferrari Sergio, a model limited to just six cars. The entrepreneur later admitted that he was too nervous to get behind the wheel himself. Calling that level of caution ordinary is difficult, however, considering that he was asking $4 million for the car in 2019.

The Ferrari 599 GTO gifted to Jean is finished in the understated Grigio Silverstone Opaco shade. At first glance, the car looks relatively restrained — until you remember what lies beneath the hood.

That engine is one of the main reasons collectors go crazy for the model: Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 produces more than 660 horsepower and can rev beyond 8,000 rpm.