Mate Rimac seeks full control of Bugatti Rimac, Porsche may sell stake
Just four years after Rimac Group and Porsche joined forces to create Bugatti Rimac, company founder and CEO Mate Rimac is reportedly negotiating to take full control of the joint venture.
Speaking with Bloomberg, as reported by Automotive News, Mate Rimac said he has secured the backing of investors capable of buying out Porsche’s 45-percent stake in the company — a move that would give him complete operational control. According to reports, Rimac made an offer of around €1 billion (NZ$1.95 billion) for Porsche’s share earlier this year.
Rimac said his motivation is creative and strategic freedom.
“I just want to be able to make long-term decisions, to make long-term investments, and to do things in a different way, without having to explain to 50 people,” he told Bloomberg.
If successful, the buyout would make Rimac Group the sole owner of Bugatti Rimac, though Porsche would still retain influence through its 22-percent stake in Rimac Group itself. The remainder of the company is split between Mate Rimac (35 percent), Hyundai Motor Group (11 percent), and other investors (32 percent).
Mate Rimac indicated that a deal could be finalised as early as next year, but acknowledged that negotiations remain complicated. “There are so many factors,” he said, adding that because the Porsche-Piëch family still holds a stake in Porsche, “it’s an emotional topic.”
Meanwhile, Porsche is facing internal challenges. CEO Oliver Blume warned staff earlier this year that the company’s long-successful business model “which has served us well for many decades, no longer works in its current form.”
The German marque has struggled with slowing EV demand, rising tariffs, and tough competition in China, creating uncertainty around its long-term strategy.
Should Rimac succeed in taking over Bugatti Rimac, the move could mark a turning point for the Croatian entrepreneur and his high-performance brand. Since founding Rimac Automobili in 2009, Mate Rimac has pushed the boundaries of electric performance, unveiling the Concept_One in 2011 and beginning production of the Rimac Nevera hypercar in 2022.
A full takeover could pave the way for new strategic direction — and potentially the next evolution of Bugatti’s and Rimac’s ultra-high-performance line-ups.
