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After Depriving Dutch Government of $200,000,000, Max Verstappen Makes Eyebrow Raising F1 Confession

Published 08/24/2023, 8:30 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Millionaires and their tax evasion measures. It makes you wonder why the people who are raking in the big bucks try to evade tax. You have it all. What are you possibly missing that only a certain percentage of your money can buy? In the F1 paddock, Max Verstappen is the biggest earner, minting nearly $60 million (in 2022, as per Forbes) a year. Despite this king-sized paycheck, the Dutchman evaded a multi-million dollar tax amount from the Dutch government. 2 months after that report; the Dutchman gave a rather hypocritical confession.

Imagine you live along the French Riviera, in the principality of Monaco. The waves of the crystal-clear Mediterranean Sea wash up the shore, bringing a cool breeze with it. Along with these obvious, picturesque, and peaceful reasons to move to Monte Carlo, a big reason why multi-millionaires and billionaires relocate there is because it is a tax haven. The government applies no personal income tax on their residents.

A real bliss, isn’t it? But in Verstappen’s case, here is the twist. ‘The Correspondent’ writer, Rutger Bregman, on LinkedIn, accused him of robbing the Netherlands of around $200 million in taxes by shifting to Monaco. He supported his argument by saying that even if the 2-time champion moves to another country, they should still pay taxes to their home government like any other citizen in any occupation. For someone who has avoided paying such a huge amount to the government, the Dutchman’s recent statements come as a stark opposition to that.

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In a recent interview, Verstappen was asked why he keeps talking about his retirement at such a young age when lots of racers start their careers. He retorted with the common opposing question, “Why not?” He continued, saying, “I’ve been doing it since [I was] four years old, so at one point, there’s a stage where it doesn’t matter anymore. The racing or your income, it doesn’t matter.”

Income doesn’t matter? Then why did his dodgy actions to dodge taxes make such headlines? Adding to all this drama, he has also made an upsetting statement for his fans.

Max Verstappen disappoints Orange army by saying that he’ll never return to the Netherlands

Max Verstappen’s journey with Red Bull is proving to be a fairytale, right out of a children’s book. He is the protagonist and, despite the challenges, has come to being victorious time and again. A sizeable chunk of credit also goes to his Dutch fans for supporting him throughout. But in return, he has snubbed their feelings by saying that he plans to permanently shift to France.

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When asked if he would move back to the Netherlands after retirement from F1, he flat-out denied the possibility. Verstappen told formule1.nl,No, I’m really enjoying myself in the South of France. Sure, there are certain things I do miss. Frites special, the local cuisine, haha. And of course my family and friends.”

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Unless Rutger Bergman can bring about change, the Dutch government is going to lose more than the estimated $200 million by 2028.

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Written by:

Yash Kotak

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Yash is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports. With a strong passion for communicating through written word and a keen interest in the world of motorsports, he thoroughly enjoys being a fan of F1 and covering it for other fans. Ever since he watched the 'INSIDE TRACKS' episode covering the 2018 German Grand Prix, he has fallen in love with the intriguingly complex world of F1.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare