Bugatti CEO Leaves The Keys Inside A Chiron, Gets It Stolen, Chases The Thief In A Porsche 911 And Then Says He Will Not Press Charges

Most of us would call the police, call the insurance company and sit down for a stiff drink. Bugatti Rimac CEO Mate Rimac did something different when one of his supercars was stolen. He jumped in a Porsche 911 and went after it himself.

A light blue supercar parked in a lot in golden hour light.

The Bugatti Chiron, a hypercar worth millions of dollars, was taken from the company’s headquarters in Croatia. The thief apparently did not have to work very hard, according to BroBible.

The Keys Were Sitting In The Chiron

Rimac had left the keys inside. He explained in an Instagram video that he routinely leaves keys in his vehicles at the company campus.

The reason is practical. Employees frequently need to move or test the cars, and he does not want them to have to track him down every time.

That system worked just fine until someone decided to take advantage of it.

An Employee Spotted A Stranger Driving Away

The theft came to light when an employee noticed an unfamiliar person driving the Chiron off the property. After checking with other employees and finding that nobody knew who was behind the wheel, Rimac contacted the police.

The Bugatti carried telemetry that let the company track its location, speed, fuel level and other information. But the thief already had about a one-hour head start.

A CEO In A Porsche 911 Chases A Bugatti Toward Slovenia

So Rimac climbed into his Porsche 911 and chased the stolen Chiron as it headed toward Slovenia. As BroBible wryly notes, that is what one does when someone steals your Bugatti. Porsche owned 45% of Bugatti Rimac until recently.

The thief eventually crossed into Austria, where police intercepted the supercar.

The Thief Filled Up Halfway And Kept Going

At one point, Rimac and investigators hoped the suspect would be caught when the Bugatti ran low on fuel. Instead, the thief reportedly stopped, filled the tank halfway and continued driving.

“I guess he didn’t pay for the fuel; he just filled up half the tank and continued onwards,” Rimac said. “Eventually, the Austrian police did a fantastic job. One of the officers was in our group chat, had an update on the location all the time, and they caught him.”

“Don’t Try It,” The CEO Warns, But He Will Not Press Charges

After police recovered the Chiron, Rimac reportedly met the suspect, a Croatian man in his 30s. Rimac said he did not want to press charges, although the man could still face prosecution.

He also had a message for anyone thinking of trying it with one of his cars. “Don’t try it; we have all the data, and you can’t do anything with the car without us,” he said.

And he will not be leaving the keys inside his cars anymore.

A Chase That Crossed Three Countries Of Group Chats And Police Radios

Look closely at how the recovery worked. An employee spotted something wrong, the company’s tracking data showed where the car was headed, and police in Austria stayed in touch with the Bugatti team while the Chiron moved from country to country.

Rimac singled out one detail in particular. One of the Austrian officers was in the company’s group chat and posted location updates the entire way.

It is a reminder that a stolen car is easier to recover when the owner, the manufacturer and the police all share information quickly. Minutes matter, and the one-hour head start in this case was a real problem.

A Stolen Car Is Still A Crime, Even When The Owner Is Forgiving

Rimac said he did not want to press charges. Still, the suspect, a Croatian man in his 30s, could face prosecution anyway.

The owner’s forgiving attitude does not necessarily end the matter. Prosecutors can decide for themselves whether to go forward, which is worth remembering for anyone who thinks a friendly owner means a free pass.

The Man Behind The Chiron Has Driven Stranger Things

Rimac’s company also builds the Nevera, one of the world’s fastest electric hypercars. The Nevera has set numerous performance records, and it made headlines for its performance against the Tesla Model S Plaid.

So chasing a stolen Bugatti in a Porsche was probably not the most unusual driving experience Rimac has ever had.

What Everyday Drivers Can Learn From A Stolen Hypercar

Few of us own a Chiron, but the same mistake happens with ordinary cars all the time. Leaving the keys or a key fob in the vehicle is one of the easiest ways to help a thief, and many insurance policies and police departments urge owners to take them along.

There is also a bright side. Rimac’s car was recovered because of tracking, quick action and good communication between a company and police in more than one country. Everyday owners can borrow the idea.

Take your keys or fob with you and lock the doors, even in your own driveway or a company lot.
Know your car’s location services. Many modern cars offer tracking through an app, and aftermarket trackers are available for older ones.
Report a theft immediately and give police your plate number, VIN and any tracking details.
Keep a fob out of sight and away from the front door, since thieves have targeted homes for keys.
Do not chase a thief yourself. Rimac may have done it, but police are trained for those situations.

The Chiron came home, and its owner learned a lesson about leaving the keys inside. As for the man who took it, he now knows that a car loaded with data is a hard thing to steal and an even harder thing to hide.

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