Fritz Kaiser, the Liechtenstein wealth manager and long-time petrolhead, is shifting gears—this time into the digital fast lane. With iconic partners like Mercedes-Benz Heritage, Formula 1 legend Kimi Räikkönen, and Swiss media titan Michael Ringier at his side, Kaiser is setting out to revolutionize the classic car world through the metaverse.
When it comes to high-speed thrills and luxury wheels, few financiers can match the street cred of Fritz Kaiser, co-founder of the Vaduz-based wealth management firm Kaiser Partner, which oversees about 20 billion Swiss francs ($23 billion). Alongside the firm, Kaiser Partner Privatbank is part of his financial empire. But what really sets him apart is his deep involvement in the world of motorsports—a passion he’s now preparing to take into the digital realm.
Between 1995 and 1999, Kaiser wasn’t just watching the races—he was a part-owner and chairman of Peter Sauber’s Formula 1 team. He was instrumental in forging groundbreaking partnerships with heavyweights like Red Bull, Petronas, and Ferrari for engines.
Sauber, Petronas, Red Bull, Ferrari
His influence didn’t stop there: Kaiser has been a key player in the racing world for decades, including helping to launch the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) in the 1980s.
For over 20 years, he’s been a dedicated collector of classic race cars, with a particular focus on the golden era of the 1950s and 1960s. His personal triumph? In 2013, he and his wife, Birgit Kaiser, roared to victory in the Rallye du Maroc, driving a gleaming Mercedes 300 SL Roadster.
Clear winner: Kimi Räikkönen in the Roarington simulator. (Image: Courtesy)
The Classic Car Trust
Last week, finews.asia caught up with Kaiser in Stuttgart, at the latest gathering of «The Classic Car Trust (TCCT),» the nonprofit he founded to safeguard automotive heritage. Kaiser picked an iconic backdrop for the event: the Mercedes-Benz Museum, a 16,000-square-meter shrine to 140 years of motoring history, filled with 1,500 exhibits, including 160 cars.
Since opening in 2006, it has drawn over 13 million visitors—making it a fitting location for Kaiser’s ambitious new vision.
From F1 Stars to Art World Icons
The guest list at the TCCT forum was nothing short of A-list. Former Formula 1 champion Kimi Räikkönen was there, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Michael Ringier, the powerhouse behind one of Switzerland’s leading publishing houses. Also present were top executive from the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin, chairman and president Benedetto Camerana, as well as celebrated Japanese artist Hidetomo Kimura, and design icons from Zagato and Pininfarina.
Fritz Kaiser (right) and Mercedes-Benz Heritage head Marcus Breitschwerdt at the event (Image: Courtesy)
The crowd also included Peter Wallman, Chairman of RM Sotheby’s EMEA, and Chinese investment leader Jing Li of Legend Holding.
Mercedes-Benz goes Metaverse
What they saw and heard was potentially groundbreaking. The main announcement of the day was that Fritz Kaiser and Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, which also includes the museum, had agreed to create a digital twin of the museum in the «Roarington MetaLand.»
Roarington MetaLand is the metaverse presence of Fritz Kaiser’s digital classic car platform, Roarington. Until now, the company has primarily been known for developing racing simulators. These simulators allow you to race a classic car of your choice, with its physical properties and sound exactly replicated digitally, around the world’s most famous racetracks.
Zagato und Pininfarina
Roarington's sleek simulators come in two versions: one designed by Zagato and the other by Pininfarina. The price point for one of these simulators is around 120,000 Swiss francs.
Roarington simulators by Zagato and Pininfarina (Image: Courtesy)
In May 2023, Roarington took another step into the digital realm, launching «Roarington MetaLand» as a video-realistic meeting point for classic car enthusiasts in the metaverse. Soon, fans of vintage cars will be able to meet virtually with their avatars, take their cars for a spin, or even visit the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
A New Dimension
At the beginning of the event, Mercedes-Heritage head Breitschwerdt explained that the museum is nearing its physical visitor capacity. A digital presence would allow visitors to enjoy the museum remotely without any capacity limits. «Our partner Roarington has developed the digital platform to create a digital image of the real world of classic automobiles and their protagonists,» he said. This opens up «a whole new dimension in presenting Mercedes-Benz Classic.»
Fritz Kaiser said he discovered the metaverse and its potential through ETH computer scientist Markus Gross, who serves as Chief Scientist and Director of Disney Research at Walt Disney.
Scientific Foundation
Gross was also present in Stuttgart and provided the scientific foundation for Roarington’s metaverse ambitions.
According to Gross, it’s only a matter of time before advancements in artificial intelligence, video-realistic avatars, and digital meeting spaces—he prefers to call them «digital universes» rather than the metaverse—will fundamentally change human life.
ETH Professor Markus Gross at the TCCT event in Stuttgart. (Image: Courtesy)
Commercial Potential
In the not-too-distant future, everyone will have a digital twin in the metaverse, Gross said. Roarington, he added, is «the most compelling vertical» in this space he’s encountered.
The event also made clear the commercial opportunities Roarington is eyeing. Classic car owners can have the physical properties of their vehicles measured and create digital twins, which they can then rent or sell in the metaverse. And, of course, the Mercedes-Benz Museum will charge for admission.
Ringier as Co-Investor
Joining this journey into the future are former Formula 1 star Kimi Räikkönen as a brand ambassador and publisher Michael Ringier as a co-investor.
Räikkönen competed with TCCT forum attendees on Roarington’s simulators. Even experienced eSports enthusiasts couldn’t keep up with the former world champion—a testament to just how realistic these simulators have become.
Living Room or Gym?
Michael Ringier, known more as an art collector than a classic car enthusiast, told finews.asia that although he owns a vintage car and a Roarington simulator, his involvement with Roarington is primarily due to his family office being based at Kaiser Partner.
We asked the publisher where his Roarington simulator was set up. After all, such a device could make for an exclusive living room accessory. «My wife would find it too loud,» laughed the publisher. So the simulator had to settle for the fitness room.
