A French billionaire was caught speeding in the Vaud canton of Switzerland and was fined a whopping 90,000 Swiss Francs (approximately 110,000 US dollars). Despite the hefty penalty, the wealthy individual could afford to pay the fine without objection. He was charged such a significant amount mainly due to the fact that Vaud canton calculates fines based on the wealth of the offender, and the individual was a repeat offender.
According to a report by the Associated Press on August 13th, the unnamed French man owns assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars and has been listed among the top 300 richest individuals in Switzerland by the economic magazine “Bilan”.
In August 2024, the man was caught speeding in a city area of Lausanne in Vaud canton. Driving at a speed of 77 kilometers per hour in a zone with a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour, he was captured by the police’s automatic radar camera. The prosecutor swiftly computed the fine allowed by law – 90,000 Swiss Francs.
The court in Vaud recently ruled that the man must first pay 10,000 Swiss Francs, and if he is caught violating similar regulations again within the next 3 years, he may be required to pay the remaining 80,000 Swiss Francs fine.
Vincent Derouand, spokesperson for the Vaud Attorney’s Office, stated that the decision was made in June, and the defendant did not raise any objections.
The high amount of the fine imposed on the man was due to Vaud canton considering factors such as income, wealth, or overall financial situation of the violator when determining penalties. Being a wealthy individual and a repeat offender – having been fined 10,000 Swiss Francs 8 years ago for a similar speeding violation – led to the hefty fine this time.
Switzerland is not the only country that imposes fines based on personal wealth. Germany, France, Austria, and Nordic countries also follow similar practices. Moreover, the fine given to the man in Switzerland is not the highest on record. In 2010, a wealthy individual driving a Ferrari was fined 290,000 US dollars for speeding in St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland.
Under the current regulations in Switzerland, lower-income individuals caught violating traffic rules may only face a one-night detention instead of a fine, while the wealthiest may have to pay fines reaching tens of thousands of dollars.
This type of punishment for speeding violations can even affect law enforcement officers. For instance, in 2016, a police officer in Geneva was fined for speeding while chasing a thief who had blown up an ATM machine, driving at nearly twice the speed limit on the streets.