After a video of a seven-figure Ferrari careening through the Beverly Hills flats this weekend went viral, the car’s wealthy owner high-tailed it out of the country, the L.A. Times reports.
Sheik Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani, part of the Qatari royal family, is the owner of the Ferrari, which was seen flying through stop signs at high speeds—perilously close to other cars. Another high-end vehicle, a white Porsche, is also seen racing in the video, but it’s not clear if Al-Thani is the owner.
When BHPD swung by to get to the bottom of the racing, Al-Thani said he did nothing wrong, then claimed diplomatic immunity. The police say pedestrians couldn’t identify anyone specific as the drivers of the race cars, and it’s impossible to see inside the cars from the videos (they appear to have tinted windows).
Commenters lit up on the Times‘ articles, with many saying money buys influence in Beverly Hills. Whether swayed by the chatter or not, police Chief Dominick Rivetti held a press conference on Thursday saying he doesn’t care who you are—if you break laws, you’ll get arrested.
But, whoops, wouldn’t you know it—Al-Thani skipped town, actually skipped the country (the cars are gone, too). Little is known about the man except that he’s a twentysomething who’s “poured millions” into his own drag-racing team. Sounds like an expensive hobby for someone with a lot of time on their hands.
