Not all journalists end up tragic figures editing and writing the motoring pages for the Weekend Australian. Some go on to be famous politicians and bond traders. Others go on to head large corporations. At least one has become the world’s most highly paid used car salesman.
John Collins worked as a photojournalist in idyllic war torn locations like Beirut. Like many of us who make some money he soon went broke in the 1987 crash and had to sell his Ferrari. Two months later after seeing the dealer sell his car for $30,000 more than he paid John for it he decided to hang up his cameras and try the used car caper. He set up his dealership Talacrest. In his first year John sold 150 Ferraris. Since then he says he has sold more than $800 million worth of Ferraris.
All journalists believe they know every industry better than the people in it. For instance early on John borrowed $500,000 bought ten Ferrari’s worth $5 million with the idea of setting up a share scheme. Earlier this century he took a sabbatical from the used Fazza game and bought into Cooper Owen the rock and roll memorabilia auction house set up by Mick Fleetwood. A few years later he planned to list it on the stock exchange. It didn’t happen and John went back to flogging high end cars to high end customers like the Sultan of Brunei and Chairman of Samsung.
