Inside Ferrari’s Blacklist – Why Even Justin Bieber Was Banned

You can win Grammys, break the internet, and sell out stadiums, Ferrari doesn’t care. One wrong move and you’ll be written into their infamous “blacklist”. 

Just ask Justin Bieber, who has been unofficially prohibited from buying the luxury sports car after undertaking some actions that the Prancing Horse deemed damaging to the brand’s reputation.  

Partly urban legend and partly fact, an aura of mystery surrounds this so-called list of celebrities barred from buying a Ferrari. The Italian car brand is so exclusive that not even a nine-figure bank account is enough to save certain people from being denied purchase of the notoriously flaming-red supercar.

Even though there’s no real evidence that such a blacklist exists, this myth started becoming popular after some “incidents” between celebrities and Ferrari cars. Over the past few years, several famous people have been frowned upon by the Italian brand for controversial actions regarding their supercars, and their public image ended up being considered unworthy of associating with the Ferrari trademark.

In a nutshell, wrap the supercar with memes, shower it with champagne, or forget where you’ve parked it, and you’ll be sure to piss off Ferrari quite a lot, as well as say goodbye to your future chances of buying another one of their road beasts. 

Still got some questions? You’re not alone. 

Let’s take a look at what this blacklist is, how it works, the big names on it, and what underlies it. 

 

The Blacklist Explained

The famed “blacklist” itself is more fictitious than facts – no official document, press release, nor a dusty sheet of paper within Maranello’s headquarters. However, we have seen instances of celebrities getting banned from purchasing the car, including Kim Kardashian.

The whole idea is that Ferrari doesn’t want to give up ownership of their cars so easily. In order to reinforce its exclusivity, the Prancing Horse reserves the right to carefully handpick the most fitting buyer persona according to their image standards, which fosters brand and heritage protection. The aim is to associate its cars with wealthy people who are financially stable and reputable. 

Ferrari has always kept their policies and ownership rules a secret, so, to this day, no one exactly knows just what it takes to be eligible to purchase the car (or get banned from doing so).

It seems the Prancing Horse prefers owners that are tasteful and sophisticated, not self-absorbed stars who think they stand above the brand. Customers need to respect the cars and help safeguard the prestige of the brand.

But what does it take to get your name on the blacklist?

From what we’ve seen, the criteria include unapproved modifications of the car, selling it too soon without their consent, financial issues, misuse of vehicles, and public criticism of the brand. At the end of the day, all roads lead back to one single conclusion: Ferrari wants to strictly avoid its customers damaging its image as a company and as a car. 

The Banned

Canadian DJ and global EDM superstar Joel Zimmerman, better known as Deadmau5, is among the members of the blacklist. The man has always set himself apart from others for his iconic sound, but also for his rants and controversial behaviour. 

In 2014, he wrapped his white Ferrari 458 Italia Spider with a nyan cat livery and posted the photos on social media, calling it the “Purrari.” He then tried to sell it without Ferrari’s consent, which almost got him into a lawsuit with the Prancing Horse. He was ultimately forced to remove the wrap and sell the car. 

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is another notable member of the blacklist. 

Most of us are certainly aware of his past and present personal hardships, which have raised enormous concerns within the music industry. But among all his controversies, there’s one in particular that involves yet another Ferrari 458. 

After pimping his car in neon blue, he drove to a night out in West Hollywood. The next day, he forgot where he had parked his car. It ended up taking three weeks for his assistant to find it, and Bieber later tried to auction it off without Ferrari’s consent, sending him straight to the blacklist.

Legendary Queens’ rapper 50 Cent also belongs to this list, following a few social media incidents. He’s acted inappropriately towards his Ferrari several times, such as publicly ranting on social media about his supercar not starting up and leaving him stranded. He was also seen in some videos soaking the car with champagne. 

Why This Matters

As already mentioned earlier, the goal is to gain more control over the brand’s image to preserve its prestige and value, with Ferrari even having a code of conduct for its customers. If they don’t respect it, the Prancing Horse can make its fair legal claims against them. 

But it also runs deeper than that.

The bottom line lies around the concept of exclusivity. Luxury itself wouldn’t exist without it. What makes these cars so special is the way they’re marketed. They’re so special and unique because of this whole exclusivity narrative behind them: they’re highly elusive objects of desire and prestige. This is the same psychological playbook that fuels the entire high-end industry – scarcity and exclusivity are its core pillars. Think about how people back in the day went nuts when Supreme would announce its drops, or how designer boutiques deliberately create mile-long queues outside their doors to beget FOMO and interest.

Ferrari, though, has elevated this tenet to a whole new level. It’s so selective that it reserves the right to control who joins the club and how its products are treated. Enzo Ferrari, the legendary founder of the Prancing Horse, made it crystal clear from the start: his cars are above anything else. 

“The client is not always right,” he once said. 

And that philosophy still drives the brand today.

In the end, it’s not really about cars. It’s about status, control and keeping the legend alive. 

So, What’s the Moral of the Story Here?

Ferrari doesn’t care how famous you are, how many followers you’ve got, or how big your bank account is. If you treat their cars like toys, they’ll happily show you the door. 

At the end of the day, cars are just the background. What matters is keeping up with appearances. Ferrari isn’t simply selling a sporty supercar; it’s selling heritage, prestige, and that intoxicating feeling of something untouchably exclusive. In a world where money usually buys you anything, here’s one brand reminding everyone that you can’t always pay your way into cool. 

So, next time you’re thinking of wrapping your Ferrari in Nyan Cat decals or leaving it abandoned somewhere in L.A…. maybe don’t. Or do – just don’t expect Maranello to send you a Christmas card.