- Australian gaming billionaire Laurence Escalante builds $100 million supercar collection.
- VGW founder expands fleet from 50 to 120 luxury vehicles in just one year.
- Escalante’s lifestyle extends to a Lamborghini yacht and private Bombardier jet.
When you’re a billionaire with a passion for luxury cars, there’s little to hold you back from indulging in the world’s most exclusive and expensive supercars. For Australia’s youngest gambling billionaire, Laurence Escalante, his ostentatious lifestyle reflects his business acumen and his awe-inspiring collection of over 120 supercars.
The Rise of Laurence Escalante
With an estimated net worth of $3 billion USD, Laurence Escalante founded Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) in 2010, catapulting himself into the stratosphere of one of Australia’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.
Before VGW, Escalante began as a devout Christian, running a religious-focused gaming company called White Knight Games straight out of university. He also spent years working as a financial planner before striking gold with his online casino empire.
Today, VGW operates three highly successful brands: Luckyland Slots, Chumba Casino, and Global Poker. These platforms operate as ‘sweepstakes‘ online casinos, primarily targeting the US market with virtual currency gambling rather than real money transactions.
Powered by the phenomenal performance of VGW, with revenues estimated at almost $5 billion USD in 2023, Escalante’s vision has seen the company place sixth in the ranking of private enterprises in Australia and employ around 1,200 people across the globe.
The LEE Collection
Escalante’s business success allowed him to satisfy his passion with a collection of 120 supercars. What makes this achievement even more impressive is the pace of his collection’s growth – until last year, he owned fewer than 50 vehicles. The leap from 50 to 120 cars in such a short time shows the dedication and amazing scale of his automotive ambition.
Known as The LEE Collection, this assemblage of vehicles is valued at over $100 million USD. The diversity in the collection is simply incredible, from hypercars and supercars to GT3 race cars and luxury cruisers. Some of the more impressive additions to Escalante’s fleet are the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4, Ferrari Daytona SP3, Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, McLaren P1, and Ferrari FXX K Evo. His collection also comprises two McLaren Elvas; one has a full carbon fibre body
Unlike most collectors who regard their cars as museum pieces, Escalante actively drives his vehicles and freely shares them with friends, frequently attending car meets in Perth to showcase his automotive treasures. His love for automotive engineering does not stop at ownership since he proudly sponsors the Ferrari Formula One team.
Escalante luxurious lifestyle extends beyond the road. He also owns a $4 million USD Lamborghini Tecnomar 63 yacht and a private Bombardier Global 7500 jet, available to suit all kinds of business trips and leisure activities.
We spotted Lawrence’s jet in Sydney on Boxing Day night. Stunning!
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A Close Call with the Law
Despite his success, Escalante found himself embroiled in legal controversy last year. In August 2023, he pleaded guilty to possessing small amounts of cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD after returning to Melbourne in his private jet following a three-day party in Las Vegas in May 2022. During questioning by the Australian Border Force, he claimed ignorance, stating:
‘I didn’t even know that was in my bag or that I had it … that should have otherwise been disposed of before I even boarded.’
Fortunately for the billionaire, the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court issued him a six-month good behaviour bond, allowing him to avoid a conviction that might have jeopardised his visa eligibility to the US and affected business operations in that country.
What’s a legend!
Today, the Escalante empire thrives on both levels: gaming and automotive. The billionaire has hinted at acquiring another 70 vehicles in the coming year. At this pace, it may not be long before he surpasses Florida billionaire Mark Pieloch’s 400+ luxury car collection.
