Early on in her career, she was often labeled “the most beautiful woman in the world.” This might have played havoc with the mind of a lesser mortal; for Brigitte Bardot, forever typecast as the blonde bombshell, it was all in a day’s work. Throughout her illustrious career, she acted in 47 films, performed in several musicals, and recorded more than 60 songs. She became a muse for the likes of Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, and Pierre Cardin. And she was awarded the Legion of Honour, France’s highest decoration, in 1985, ten years after retiring at age 40 to pursue a “more meaningful life” out of the withering glare of the press, when she could have continued to shine on the silver screen.

Bardot appears to be having a major moment in 2025. Sabrina Carpenter’s new Vogue Italia cover shoot, shot by fashion photographer Steven Meisel, was clearly influenced by the legendary actress’s ’60s-era glamour. And two new art books pay tribute to her considerable legacy. Being Bardot, published by ACC Art Books, features photography by Douglas Kirkland and Terry O’Neill, who took some of the most iconic images of the actress ever captured on film; while Brigitte Bardot: Intimate, from Assouline, showcases never-before-published photos by her longtime friend Glislain “Jicky” Dussart. All still utterly enthralling nearly six decades later.

“In a period of just a little more than 20 years, Brigitte Bardot exploded established perceptions of beauty and femininity,” writes author James Clarke in the introduction to Being Bardot. “In doing so, she dramatically rewrote expectations around—and perhaps even established a new version of—femininity. She was a movie star and a pop-culture icon whose image was emblematic of a particular moment in time. Bardot’s film career spanned 21 years, from 1951 to 1973. Her screen performances, and the still images of her that became such a constant and vivid element of popular culture, brought a new sense of what female movie stardom could be, not only in French cinema but globally.”

Bardot’s killer looks and knockout style have been emulated by the likes of Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, Lara Stone, Amy Winehouse, Georgia May Jagger, Scarlett Johansson, and Paris Hilton. Asked about her many imitators, Bardot simply sniffed, ”None have my personality.” She put Saint-Tropez on the map after filming And God Created Woman there in 1953, directed by her husband Roger Vadim, establishing such a strong connection with the Mediterranean paradise that she lives there to this day, having made it her permanent home; many of Dussart’s photographs were taken there.

Terry O’Neill created one of the most iconic images ever taken of Bardot, a photograph of her smoking a cigarette on the set of The Legend of Frenchie King in 1971.”I thought if I could get a close-up of the moment the wind blew her trademark hair into her eyes, combined with the cigarette dangling from those lips, it would capture how sexy, strong and wild her image was,” O’Neill recalls in Being Bardot. “I didn’t have many frames left, so I went in closer. The wind blew, and I clicked the shutter. I had no idea if the photo would match the image I had in my mind until the film was developed. The first time I saw these images, I got chills.” It’s safe to say that the rest of the world did, too.

On the occasion of her 90th birthday, the town of Villefranchesur-Mer, another picturesque French Riviera town she elevated to icon status, honored Bardot with a celebratory photo exhibition. “The images show her sometimes bursting with joy, sometimes introspective, but always imbued with this aura which has fascinated and still fascinates entire generations,” the exhibition noted. “Bardot’s authenticity is one of the most striking to people. Even though she was a global star, she always stayed true to who she was and did not yield to the expectations of others.”

From the very start of her career, the curators wrote, “from Paris to Saint-Tropez and via Villefranche-sur-Mer, all along her path to fame, from one film to the next, Brigitte had all the makings of a celebrity: Whether copied, scrutinized, followed, persecuted or adored, she made one successful film after another based on her sex appeal, in which she often plays a young French woman who is portrayed as wild, suave, and beautiful. Often the object—and victim— of a malicious curiosity, on screen she is revealed as a true, uninhibited and moving actress. Bardot irritated and amused her contemporaries all the more by her blatant disregard of public opinion and lack of approval of known critiques.”

Her impact on cinema, fashion, and culture cannot be overstated, all the more so because she decided to turn her back on it and devote herself to a cause close to her heart; in 1986, she founded the Fondation Brigitte Bardot to protect wild and domesticated animals. Beyond simply becoming famous, she radically altered the whole concept of female stardom. And she continues to influence and inspire generations of actresses, models, and women from all walks of life. Vive Bardot. 

This article originally appeared in Maxim magazine’s September/October 2025 issue.

Ni-Ni Lashay (@charliannmanny)

Ni-Ni Lashay is bringing fresh energy to the competition. A rising star with a serious passion for fashion. Beyond the camera, Lashay lives for music, art, and the beauty of nature. One night you’ll catch her lighting up the dance floor, the next she’s lost in a great book—or perfecting her latest recipe.

Charliann Manny (@kat3457)

Charliann Manny isn’t just a credentialed athletic trainer, she’s a certified stunner. This Jersey girl knows how to turn heads, whether she’s lacing up a fresh pair of kicks or crushing it in the gym. A proud shoe fanatic with a graduate degree under her belt, Manny is chasing big dreams in modeling and acting—all while living that fitness-first lifestyle.

Katie Cooper (@breighannmarie)

Katie Cooper is serving looks—and spiking goals. At 25, this aspiring model is balancing her studies as a future physical therapist assistant with time spent coaching on the volleyball court. Cooper’s a dedicated foodie and a serious shopper who knows how to turn everyday moments into style statements. Her striking eyes will stop you mid-scroll. 

BreighAnn Marie (@livhan91)

BreighAnn Marie is proof that strength comes with style. A kickboxing mama of three, she puts family first but knows the power of carving out “me time.” From arranging fresh bouquets and painting flawless nails to indulging in travel, Marie embraces the little luxuries that fuel her creativity.

Olivia Hanrahan

Olivia Hanrahan is redefining strength and beauty on her own terms. At 33, this thyroid cancer survivor has embraced a powerful new chapter—one fixed in self-love and unapologetic confidence. Hanrahan radiates both resilience and allure, proving that true beauty comes from within. Powerful. Beautiful. Unstoppable. That’s a winning combination.

In 2013, four years after Bitcoin (BTC) launched, skepticism surrounding the nascent digital asset was far from waning. Early price swings spurred think pieces describing a financial investment bubble or even fraud, and the world’s first widely adopted cryptocurrency had little to no value as a currency that could be exchanged for goods or services. “People say it’s a Ponzi scheme, it’s a bubble,” Cameron Winklevoss told The New York Times in a piece published that April. “People really don’t want to take it seriously. At some point, that narrative will shift to ‘virtual currencies are here to stay.’ We’re in the early days.”

Cameron and his 6-foot-5-inch twin sibling, Tyler, were then best widely known as the crew-rowing bros who’d won a $65 million settlement in 2008 after a protracted legal battle with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, that recognition being largely due to the story’s somewhat fictitious retelling in 2010’s Oscar-winning film The Social Network. At the time of the aforementioned article’s publication, you could purchase one BTC for $115, and the Winklevosses held $11 million worth.

“It has been four years and it has yet to be discredited as a viable alternative to fiat currency,” Tyler told The New York Times. “We could be totally wrong, but we are curious to see this play out a lot more.”

Wrong, they weren’t. Dug in to the most bullish of positions—Cameron reportedly told CNN Money in 2015, “We’ve never sold a Bitcoin, we’re in it for the long haul”—that initial $11 million investment saw the media declare them “Bitcoin’s first billionaires” by 2017, at which point the value of the BTC had skyrocketed to nearly $11,827, well over a 9,000 percent increase from its 2013 price.

While the Winklevosses may have hit the jackpot, they clearly didn’t see Bitcoin as a lucky speculative investment, but part of an emerging crypto market brimming with untapped potential. Very shortly after revealing the initial Bitcoin investment to The New York Times, the brothers publicly announced their intent to put not just money, but their time, effort, and reputation on the line in launching Gemini, a new cryptocurrency exchange. Built from the ground up to comply with financial laws and regulations, Gemini stood out from other early crypto ventures that were known to operate in legal gray areas.

“In our early experiences with Bitcoin, we found how few people were building Bitcoin exchanges the right way,” Tyler said in a 2016 interview with New York Business Journal. “They really weren’t taking the regulation seriously; they were taking it too much like how you would approach something when you’re 18, full of the excitement of youth and throwing caution to the wind.

“We were passive investors in a Bitcoin company whose CEO went to prison for laundering, which was a valuable lesson for us, because it showed us how to do this the right way,” Tyler added, referencing BitInstant founder Charles Shrem IV, who has since been released. “Since that experience, we’ve taken considerable steps to ensure a higher standard of care. We’ve created a great security system that essentially acts as a more effective form of insurance.”

Gemini officially launched in October 2015 with a notable, consumer trust-building certification that very few crypto exchanges could claim: “We’re licensed by the New York Department of Financial Services, which is the highest regulator in the land for both banks and insurance companies in New York,” Tyler said in a statement. “We have bank exams every six to twelve months, which is a very rigorous process. We want to look and feel just like your other financial service companies, so we spent a lot of time ensuring that we do this the right way.”

Following its launch, Gemini quickly moved to expand its offerings beyond Bitcoin. Most notably, it became the world’s first licensed Ether exchange in May 2016. While also a decentralized digital currency, Ether and the Ethereum network on which it’s used are more ambitious in scope than Bitcoin, which was conceived primarily as a currency to be used as a medium for the exchange of goods and services without the need for intermediaries like banks. Ether, in contrast, is the cryptocurrency (or “gas”) that fuels the Ethereum blockchain network, which is often described as a “world supercomputer” that allows developers to build and deploy decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts. From creating financial platforms for lending, borrowing, and trading to drafting insurance policies built on smart contracts that are automatically executed when conditions are met, Ethereum’s applications as a blockchain-based network are almost endlessly vast.

As it evolved to offer more cryptocurrencies—Gemini now allows its users to trade and buy over 70 “coins,” or cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether that are built on their own native blockchains—the company has remained unwavering in its commitment to market integrity and security. In 2018, it began using Nasdaq’s SMARTS Market Surveillance technology, a system widely used in traditional financial markets, to monitor all its transactions—a fitting development, considering that Cameron had presciently said in a 2015 CNBC interview, “This is our effort to bring Bitcoin mainstream, to build it into a regulatory box. When we think of Gemini. com, it will be like a Nasdaq for Bitcoin.”

The following years saw Gemini undergo a number of System and Organization Controls examinations—independent audits that assess the operational effectiveness and security of businesses—to overwhelmingly positive results. But, like so many ventures in the crypto space, Gemini’s biggest challenge to date came about in part because of 2022’s “crypto winter,” a brutal cryptocurrency-wide downturn punctuated by the notorious collapse of the FTX crypto-trading exchange. A year earlier, Gemini and crypto lender Genesis Global Capital had partnered to launch Gemini Earn, a program that allowed users to earn interest on their crypto by lending it to Genesis. The controversy erupted in November 2022—the same month in which FTX collapsed—when Genesis unexpectedly halted customer withdrawals, citing “unprecedented market turmoil.” This freeze left over 200,000 Gemini Earn users unable to access approximately $900 million in digital assets…and seriously pissed off the Winklevoss twins.

Having worked tirelessly to establish an iron-clad credibility with its user base, they fiercely advocated for Gemini users as the company engaged in legal battles with Genesis and its parent company, Digital Currency Group (DCG). Cameron even went so far as to call out DCG CEO Barry Silbert via an open letter, writing, “There are over 340,000 Earn users that are waiting. It’s important to them, and it’s important to us. Every time we ask you for tangible engagement, you hide behind lawyers, investment bankers, and process.”

Those relentless efforts paid off. By the end of June 2024, Gemini had returned 100 percent of digital assets that had been frozen as of November 2022, including all appreciation. “It’s important to note that the Genesis bankruptcy was not a crypto problem,” the Winklevosses said in a joint statement to Gemini users. “It was old-fashioned financial fraud compounded by a lack of regulatory clarity. To that end, we will continue to fight for clear rules and guidance for our industry that foster both innovation and consumer protection. And we will win this fight. The future is bright.”

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It is indeed. In June 2025, Gemini confirmed it had filed for an initial public offering, taking its first steps to becoming a publicly traded company. Gemini has expanded to support over 160 digital assets, including tokens—digital assets built on existing blockchains—like XRP, Dogecoin, and Shiba Inu. Gemini’s inaugural “Global State of Crypto” report, released in partnership with Data Driven Consulting Group, indicates a worldwide growth of crypto adoption. According to the report, roughly half of the Gen Z and millennial global population either are or have been invested in crypto.

Perhaps most encouragingly, Bitcoin has hit multiple record highs in 2025, with the most recent being a breach of $120,000 in mid-July, suggesting a value of over $11 billion on the Winklevosses’ initial $11 million Bitcoin investment. “Orange is the new gold. Bitcoin is gold 2.0, and that’s been true since day one,” Tyler said during a panel discussion with David Sacks, the White House crypto and A.I. czar, at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas. “$100,000 per bitcoin, that’s exciting. But if you take twenty-one million into the above-ground marketplace of gold, really it should be a million dollars a coin.” If Bitcoin goes to $1 million, then the Winklevoss twins will be centibillionaires.  

This article originally appeared in Maxim’s September/October 2025 issue.

It’s right there in the lyrics of his inescapable hit single “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” after all: As Shaboozey sings, “they know me and Jack Daniel’s got a history.” The song has been positively everywhere since its release just last April, spending 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and leading to four Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, for the singer (real name: Collins Obinna Chibueze).

In fitting fashion, its success led Shaboozey to team up with the iconic Tennesse whiskey maker as part of the Jack Daniel’s “Highway No. 7” cross-country music series. Ahead of a show sponsored by Old No. 7 at New York City’s Terminal 5 earlier this month, Shaboozey was grateful to see his dreams and hard work taking shape and paying off, saying Jack Daniel’s is “like my number one fan.”

For the singer, it’s still all about being authentic as he kicks his “The Great American Roadshow” Tour into high gear. “I’m big on just putting parts of myself in the music,” he told Maxim as he prepared to head to New York City. “It’s just really cool that… with, the mention of Jack Daniel’s, so much support could come from it.”

The ultra-stylish 30-year-old singer added that working with Jack Daniel’s feels like family, and feels like a more-than-natural fit. “That’s something I’ve kind of done my whole career is… putting some of my favorite things in life into my music,” he added.

More than 1,000 guests got to see the singer-songwriter debut a new song, “Move On,” and the Grammy-nominated artist naturally brought plenty of Old No. 7 onstage. For a distillery with as much heritage (and modern innovation) as Jack Daniel’s, Shaboozey favors the classics when it comes to whiskey. “I like JD, you know what I mean? Some of my friends call me… the Jack Man,” he said with a laugh.

Of a hectic past year, Shaboozey described it as “rewarding” and “exhilarating,” and notes that he’s eager for more, describing his mindset as “go, go, go, go” as he works to build off the success of his breakout third album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going.

Musically, the singer lists everyone from Gillian Welch to Johnny Cash as inspirations, along with the gritty outlaw country of Townes Van Zandt, and naturally, the singer is a fan of any music with a focus on “great storytelling,” he says. Those inspirations should give the artist plenty to go off as he plots his next album, and Shaboozey noted his band will bring a mobile recording rig to try out new songs on tour for the first time.

His perspective goes well beyond whiskey and songwriting, though. The self-described “jeanhead” is also a big fan of Levi’s and even starred in a short film for the brand’s recent Global Icons campaign. “I wear a lot of jeans, a lot of Western shirts, and it’s always about style and how I can feel good up on stage,” he said.

Shaboozey’s rise in the music scene has taken him to the likes of legendary rock clubs like Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, and helped him dial in his setlist and stage design (Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottles, like any good rock show, are certainly par for the course).

“The set is really awesome. We spent a lot of time dialing it in and trying to make it as great as possible,” Shaboozey added, noting that “it takes a village to get here.” As Shaboozey brings his global smash hit (and plenty more fun) out on the road, check out his setlist here and be sure to bring your dancin’ boots (and an appetite for Jack Daniel’s whiskey).

The Great American Roadshow Setlist

1. “Last Of My Kind”
2. “Anabelle”
3. “Blink Twice”
4. “Tall Boy”
5. “Drink Don’t Need No Mix”
6. “Vegas”
7. “Highway”
8. “Move On” (with Kevin Powers)
9. “Family Traditions” (Hank Williams Jr cover)
10. “Amen”
11. “Finally Over”
12. “Fire And Gasoline”
13. “East Of The Massanutten”
14. “Horses & Hellcats”
15. “Good News”
16. “Let It Burn”
17. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

“One of the things I love about motorcycles is the variety of people who are fanatics about them—you tend to have this idea of a motorcyclist as either a super trendy tatted café racing hipster, or a Sons of Anarchy denimed-up gangster.

But the truth of the matter is that people who love escaping into the hills on motorcycles are about as varied as they come,” reveals Maxim Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher, who also happens to be co-author of Assouline’s new uber-luxe The Impossible Collection of Motorcycles coffee table book. “That means that the type of motorcycles that were built to appeal to these passionate riders over the past 150 years are about as varied as Ben & Jerry’s.”

For the second edition of The Impossible Collection of Motorcycles, Stecher and co-author Ian Barry added ten new 21st-century bikes to the hundred they collected for the first edition, which focused on the previous century.

Featuring only the rarest, coolest, and most pivotal motorcycles since 1900, this new edition adds to Assouline’s vaunted Impossible Collection series, which has previously shined a light on everything from wines to Patek Philippe timepieces to even Formula One cars—which also happens to be included in our Ferrari F1 feature in Maxim’s September/October issue.

And these aren’t just routine coffee table books, mind you. They’re massive in scale (16 x 19 inches), and boast beautiful time-consuming and rare printing techniques such as hand-tipped images and hand-binding; the 170 images come presented on thick, archival-quality cotton paper with a PVC clamshell case and metal plaque.

With Barry’s pedigree designing and building museum-level custom bikes under the Falcon Motorcycles marque, and our esteemed editor’s long history in automotive journalism, the hundred bikes assembled here are each a gem worthy of the book’s title. Consider Evel Knievel’s famed Harley-Davidson XR750 on which he leapt over the Caesars Palace fountains, breaking countless bones upon impact when his jump fell awry.

Or early unicorns of engineering, such as Glenn Curtiss’s iconic 1907 V8, for which the famed aviator impossibly bolted a massive 4.4-liter V8 engine onto essentially a glorified bicycle frame to create a true spectacle of mechanical force. Hitting 136 mph, the Curtiss V8 shattered the land speed record and held it for decades.

But which is our deputy editor’s favorite? “That’s a tough one,” Stecher struggles, seemingly running through the hundred motorcycles in his mind. “I’d say my two favorites are the BMW R7, which graces the cover—an unbelievable one-off specimen of German engineering and art-deco design that was thought lost for nearly 70 years until discovered in 2005 in a BMW warehouse. What a story, and what a bike. And maybe the Britten V1000—a superbike entirely designed and built by a New Zealand madman in his garage, which beat factory teams with infinitely deeper wallets. That’s another thing: I really dig the visionaries behind these bikes, all of them the best kind of rogues and renegades this planet needs.”

Of course, a tome of this rare scale and quality boasts a $1,400 price tag to match. Find The Impossible Collection of Motorcycles (2nd Edition) at Assouline.com.

This article originally appeared in Maxim’s September/October 2025 issue. Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher  on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

As the storied Rolls-Royce marque celebrated its 120th anniversary last year, a sea change was taking shape in its top office. After nearly 14 years as CEO, during which time the opulent automaker saw a 500 percent surge in sales, Torsten Müller-Ötvös announced he was stepping aside in favor of UK-born industry veteran Chris Brownridge—a return to the brand’s roots, you might say.

“To be invited to lead this great British brand, at such a pivotal moment in its long and remarkable story, is an extraordinary privilege,” Brownridge said of his ascension. “Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s most recognized, desirable, and influential brands, and I’m keenly aware of the enormous affection and esteem in which it’s held.” Earlier this year, he demonstrated his commitment to the evolution of the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy, presiding over the debut of Black Badge Spectre, the most powerful car in Rolls-Royce history, based on its $400,000-plus electric ultra-luxury grand tourer.

Just prior to that, he’d announced plans to invest around $375 million to expand the marque’s famed Goodwood, U.K. factory to focus more on the bespoke side of the business, a thriving division that has gained a reputation for ever-more-incredible custom creations. Some of its most notable bespoke commissions in 2024 included solid 18-karat gold sculptural elements, hand embroidery consisting of more than 869,500 stitches, veneers including 500 individually-shaped pieces of wood, and one-of-a-kind holographic paint finishes.

At the same time, the brand opened an impressive new Private Office in New York, catering to stateside clients wishing to order bespoke vehicles and collaborate directly with the marque’s designers. We recently spoke to Brownridge about his appointment, vision, and plans for the future.

What aspects of the brand’s direction are you most eager to develop or refine?

Every day, I gain a deeper appreciation for our ability to connect with clients through Bespoke. I am continually inspired by the talent and vision of our artisans in Goodwood and our teams around the world. Our ambition is to further expand personalization options, ensuring each motor car reflects the unique desires of its owner. This includes investing in the Goodwood facility to accommodate increasingly complex Bespoke projects—reinforcing our unwavering commitment to individualized luxury.

How does the Black Badge Spectre embody the pinnacle of the Black Badge ethos?

Black Badge is the alter ego of the Rolls-Royce brand— darker, bolder, and more visceral. Spectre, our electric super coupé, provides the ideal canvas for this expression. Its emotionally charged design and powerful stance made it the natural choice for our most performance-focused model to date. With 650 brake horsepower and exclusive features like “Infinity Mode” and “Spirited Mode,” Black Badge Spectre pushes the boundaries of bold design while maintaining the serene luxury expected of Rolls-Royce. In many ways, this is the motor car Black Badge was destined for.

How has the Black Badge program evolved over the past decade?

Black Badge was introduced to appeal to a younger, more dynamic clientele. It has since matured into a bold symbol of individuality— perfectly aligned with the expressive capabilities of our Bespoke division. Over time, we’ve introduced enhanced performance features, culminating in the Black Badge Spectre—the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever. Simultaneously, Black Badge has allowed us to innovate with new materials, further expanding the visual and tactile palette available to our clients.

What is the current state of the Black Badge program, and who are its clients?

The Black Badge collection continues to thrive, attracting those who seek a more daring and unconventional Rolls-Royce experience. Our client base for Black Badge is very diverse, but our Black Badge owners value bold design married with dynamic performance. They are seeking a truly personal connection to the image their motor car projects and deliberately move away from expected aesthetic codes.

What was involved in engineering the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history?

The development of Black Badge Spectre required a transformative approach to power and performance—executed the Rolls-Royce way. Teaching Spectre how to behave with increased torque and horsepower while remaining, first and foremost, a Rolls-Royce demanded precise calibration of the transmission, suspension, and steering systems. Our engineers also crafted a sound profile befitting this elevated performance. The result is a motor car that redefines power for the brand with-out any compromise regarding the refined character that defines Rolls-Royce.

How do you balance innovation and electrification with the heritage that defines Rolls-Royce?

At the start of the 20th century, our founder, Charles Rolls, declared that electric drive would be the technology of the future, ideally suited to the type of car he–together with Henry Royce–was destined to create. Traveling in a Rolls-Royce has always been defined by silence, effortless power and the unrivaled “magic carpet ride.” With our meticulously engineered Rolls-Royce electric drivetrain, that renowned feeling of “one endless gear” takes on a new quality: Even more powerful, silent and refined than our legendary V12, it delivers the ultimate Rolls-Royce experience.

What motivated the $375 million expansion of the Goodwood manufacturing facility?

This strategic investment is dedicated to expanding our Bespoke and Coachbuild capabilities, not to increase annual production volumes. As client demand grows for increasingly complex and highly individualized commissions, the enhanced facility will support advanced paint techniques and intricate “one-off” interior treatments, reducing wait times for our clients. Our mission is not more volume, but more magnificent, meaningful commissions.

How has Rolls-Royce come to lead the industry in vehicle customization?

Bespoke is not an option at Rolls-Royce—it is the essence of what we do. From the initial consultation to the final handover, every touchpoint is tailored to transform each motor car into a singular expression of the client’s lifestyle. Our goal is to ensure that no two Rolls-Royces are alike—each is a one-of-one commission that reflects the individuality of its owner.

What is driving the increase in Bespoke and Coachbuild demand?

True luxury lies in individuality and exclusivity. Our clients are highly accomplished individuals who turn to Rolls-Royce to express and celebrate that success. They don’t want a car—they want a statement. A unique Bespoke commission is their way of making that statement.

What inspired the growth of the Private Office program? Doesn’t its invite-only nature create limitations?

Private Office was conceived to serve clients with highly ambitious bespoke visions—clients for whom time is their most precious resource. Not everyone can travel to Goodwood [UK], so we brought the experience closer to them. The Private Office allows direct access to our design team and creative resources, empowering our most visionary clients to bring their ideas to life in collaboration with our brand.

How does one receive an invitation to the Private Office?

Invitations are extended to clients who demonstrate a strong affinity with the brand, often through previous Bespoke commissions or a clear vision for a one-of-a-kind vehicle. At Private Office New York, for instance, access is granted via dealer-client advisors. While every Rolls-Royce dealership houses a Bespoke Lounge, clients whose requests are particularly elaborate are invited to the Private Office where they can work directly with a Rolls-Royce designer and dedicated client experience manager.

How does direct collaboration with Goodwood designers enhance the commissioning experience?

Working directly with our designers—whether at Goodwood [Rolls’ UK headquarters] or in Private Office locations—immerses clients in the creative journey. Their personal stories and preferences are deeply integrated into the final design, resulting in a motor car that is not only one-of-a-kind, but profoundly personal. These collaborations often inspire new techniques and innovations in design, material use, and craftsmanship.

Are there plans to open additional Private Office locations? What determines their placement?

Currently, our Private Offices in Goodwood, Dubai, Shanghai, Seoul, and New York are serving hundreds of clients on highly complex projects. Our focus remains on delivering world-class service at each location. While we have no immediate plans to expand, we will continue to evaluate based solely on one criterion: our ability to meet and exceed client expectations.

Are more ultra-limited Coachbuild commissions planned? What determines eligibility?

Wait and see! We continue to explore ultra-limited Coachbuild projects with clients who have a deep understanding of the brand and a compelling vision. These commissions are profoundly collaborative and ensure alignment with Rolls-Royce’s heritage and standards. While we can’t reveal specifics at this time, we are always seeking opportunities to evolve the Coachbuild concept in response to client demand.

This article originally appeared in Maxim’s September/October 2025 issue.

Back in 2015, just a month before graduating high school in small-town Wisconsin, Alex Bruesewitz fired off a tweet that altered the course of his life. It was a picture of Trump Tower Chicago with the caption: “The sign on Trump Chicago will look just as good in the White House.” Out of the blue, Donald Trump retweeted him. Two months later, he announced his run for president.

“I liked how Trump took time out of his day to share one of my posts,” Bruesewitz recalls. “I thought it was a huge deal. He built an ally for life, just basically doing that one interaction.” Fast forward to 2025. That 18-year-old kid from Ripon, Wisconsin, has become one of the most influential political strategists in America. Last year, Bruesewitz, now 28, was tapped by the Trump campaign to spearhead its podcast strategy, credited with helping the former president reach millions of new voters. Bruesewitz has been named senior adviser to Never Surrender, Trump’s new leadership PAC.

In this role, he leads digital messaging for the group, with his consulting firm X Strategies LLC managing all digital properties linked to the Trump political brand, including powerful social media accounts like @TrumpWarRoom and @TeamTrump with millions of followers. Most recently, Bruesewitz was named on the 2025 TIME100 Next, a list that spotlights changemakers from around the globe who are shaping the next generation of leadership and redefining what progress, influence, and impact mean in today’s world.

We sat down with Bruesewitz to learn how a kid from a town of 7,000 people became Donald Trump’s go-to social media mastermind.

Tell us about your upbringing in Ripon, Wisconsin. How did that shape you? Ripon is a very quaint community.

The employers are factories and farms and teaching—really small-town America vibes. Everybody knows each other. I had the same kids that I grew up with through K through 12. My graduating class was 110 kids. It was really a unique experience, but growing up there made me aspire to see the world and lit a fire in my belly to be more ambitious.

How did you get interested in politics at such a young age?

I was raised by a single mom who is as conservative as it gets. She worked long hours, and after school, we would watch the news, typically The O’Reilly Factor, maybe Hannity & Colmes. And then we would turn on Home Improvement. Every night, that’s how we would spend time together.

I always felt a bit contrarian. All my teachers were super liberal, and I liked to troll them. Every Friday in middle school, you had to find a news story, read it, and stand up in front of the class to summarize it. Then you had to read your source. My teacher would always yell at me because I’d always cite Fox News. She’d say, “Fox News is not a real news network.” Even in sixth grade, I was trolling my teacher.

You founded your company, X Strategies, when you were just 19. What does the company do?

My business partner Derek and I met right around the time that Trump was the Republican nominee in 2016, and we formed the company shortly after he got sworn in. The company’s goal was to help conservatives communicate online better in the age of Donald Trump. We would try to get clients to either let us run their social media accounts or give them advice on how to grow. My very first client was called Freedom Project Academy, a Christian conservative homeschool academy in Appleton, Wisconsin. They agreed to pay me a very small dollar amount each month to help manage their social media accounts. Eight years later, they’re still a client.

You’ve said social media has become the battleground of the political landscape. Can you explain what you mean by that?

President Trump brought the political discourse online in a way that nobody had done before. A lot of people claim that Barack Obama used X effectively. But Obama just posted on X. He didn’t interact. President Trump was the first social media president. X became the town square, the public square of political discourse. That’s where I focused most of my energy on building a following. It’s where folks in journalism get a lot of their news coverage from. It’s where TV rooms get their show rundown ideas. It became so important to have a presence there. Initially, my competitors were TV bookers. A lot of members of Congress were paying thousands of dollars to a booker to get them on Fox News once a month, and they thought that was a success. Instead, I tried to sell them on investing a few thousand bucks on their social media presence. It’s more tangible, makes you more relevant, and gives you more control over your message.

When did you first actually meet President Trump?

I didn’t meet the president until after he left office. I was working on a campaign for a guy named Max Miller who was running against Tony Gonzalez, who voted to impeach Trump. I first met Trump in a photo line at a rally. Shortly thereafter, I met him at a fundraiser in Naples, and he started becoming more familiar with me. Then we spent some time together more formally at a LIV Golf tournament, which was a great time.

How did you end up working on his 2024 campaign?

I didn’t formally work for the campaign until July 1, 2024, but I’ve been working with Don Jr. and a lot of the family for almost four years now. When I formally started, Susie Wiles tasked me with the podcast strategy. She asked me to oversee and spearhead the efforts to engage with online influencers. It was a super easy role for me because the president has so many friends and family members who are well-connected, and they all wanted to help him. I was basically just the liaison between all these cool people and the president, helping facilitate scheduling. It’s pretty funny—the media talks about how it was a brilliant strategy, but at the end of the day, these people have large platforms that reach millions of people. We have mutual friends, so people connected me via email or text, and then I just set up meetings or interviews. It was really that simple, and the president knocked it out of the park because he’s awesome.

What do you think was your biggest win during the campaign?

I think the Theo Von podcast was a great moment that showed a really unique side of the president. He was very engaged in some hilarious conversations with Theo, and the clips went insanely viral. Dana White actually introduced us to Theo, which we’re super grateful for. The Adin Ross interview that was set up by Barron was super fun. Barron set it up, and then I helped work with Adin and his team on their vision for the interview. Andrew Schulz is a great guy, too. That was one I really wanted the president to do. I’m a big Andrew Schulz fan—I think he’s an incredible person and a hilarious comedian. I worked hard to set that one up and actually made a trip down to Andrew’s studio in New York before they ended up having the interview.

What was particularly effective about these podcast appearances?

I always found it ridiculous and personally offensive when the media would describe Trump—this guy who I’ve gotten to know as funny, hilarious, and accomplished — as if he’s a crazy person or a monster. These podcasts gave him the medium to showcase the Donald Trump that we see privately—more comfortable, more relaxed, more fun and engaging, where he’s not defensive because he doesn’t have a host that’s viciously lying about him like the mainstream media does. What I also like about these podcasters is that they’re not political by nature. They also weren’t massive Trump fans—they were Trump-curious. It’s funny watching the media cover it as this “rightwing manosphere” when these guys aren’t right wing. Theo Von and Joe Rogan voted for Bernie Sanders in 2016. These guys are very liberal in many respects. It was fun watching the president interact with them and also watching the comment sections in real time. Trump won over all these people. You’d see comments like, “Wow, I didn’t know Trump was like this. He’s awesome,” or “That’s not how the media portrays him. The media just lies.” You could watch how Donald Trump on these podcasts was winning the hearts and minds of independent to left-leaning viewers because they finally got to see the real Donald Trump.

You didn’t go to college. What do you think about college these days? Do you have advice for younger people who are thinking about it?

Know what you want to do. It’s weird—when I was like 22, people would ask if I went to college, and when I said no, they’d give me looks like, “Oh, this idiot.” Fast forward to today, when I tell somebody I didn’t go to college, it’s “Alex, you were so smart! Great decision!” There’s been a total shift in thinking about higher education since I graduated high school, which has been almost 10 years now. I think it’s for the better. We had a system where everybody was kind of being turned out to be the same—the same K through 12 curriculum, not unique for the student. I didn’t like that path because I wanted to be different. The one-size-fits-all style of education has been a disaster for our country. Pretty early on, the education system figures out what the student is good at and what they’re not good at. But instead of trying to put them in lanes where they’re going to excel, they keep shoving stuff down their throats that they’re never going to pick up, learn, or appreciate. I’m not 100% anti-college. I think it can be necessary. I just don’t think it’s for everybody the way our education system has set it up.

What do you do for fun when you’re not working?

I play a lot of video games like NBA 2K, though I’m trying to cut back on that. I like to read, and I like to travel. I travel a lot. One of my favorite places to travel is actually Los Angeles. I’ve spent a lot of time there, and I have a lot of friends out there. I’ve been hanging out in Los Angeles since 2018, and it’s been fun watching the cultural shift. There are so many people you wouldn’t expect—rappers, musicians, athletes, actors—who hit me up just to hang out and talk politics. They’re Trump-curious, and a lot of these people that were offered money to support Kamala Harris’s campaign rejected it and voted for Trump instead. You would never expect a Republican political operative to be able to hang out in that world, but I love it.

Recently, a mansion made splashy headlines the world over for its record-breaking purchase. And while you might think the draw would be the $55 million that architect and developer Aldo Stark of Prestige Design Homes earned from its sale, it’s actually the abode’s opulent Ferrari-themed design that dropped jaws. Casa Maranello, as it’s so eloquently named, is not only an ode to lavish living, but to the Italian supercar maker whose identity ripples through the DNA of the 2.5- acre lakefront campus like the crimson flags flown by Ferraristi the world over.

The Prancing Horse obsession starts as soon as you pass the gates and walk by an expansive fountain at the home’s entrance. Floating on the pool-like water, a defiant horse rears on its hind legs—a life-size Ferrari logo fully manifested in bronze. Walk through the imposing front double doors to the grand salon and you’ll see a replica of one of the planet’s most valuable cars centerstage. There in the room’s pole position, a reduced scale Ferrari 250 Testarossa reminds all who enter the abode where its name was born (the Italian city being, of course, the home of Ferrari).

From that vantage, you can also catch a view of Casa Maranello’s focal point: the 12-car garage, outfitted in photos with a lust-worthy suite of gleaming Ferraris—and a lone Rolls-Royce Phantom. Unfortunately, none of these vehicles are included in the sale, but that’s OK. The glass-walled garage allows the proud owner to park his own collection for stunned onlookers to enjoy from the comforts of the living room, viewed behind glass like an adult-size Hot Wheels collection.

While Italy plays prime muse, its Douglas Elliman agency states the home was “inspired by European artistry and precision.” And that inspiration emanates not just from Italy but also Switzerland—specifically the iconic “Goldfinger Route,” aka the Swiss Alps’ Furka Pass through which Sean Connery escapes the titular Goldfinger’s goons in his Aston Martin DB5. Located in what is humbly dubbed “Billionaire’s Row” in the prestigious Stone Creek Ranch development of Delray Beach, Florida, Casa Maranello is clearly built with one focus in mind: revelry. But beyond the ample hosting capabilities of the 21,725-squarefoot mansion lies a profound ability to relax, recharge, and meditate.

Despite its hefty price tag, Casa Maranello seems not to have been imagined as a first home, but rather more of a Miami party pad. Small hints to its festive purpose abound: the 20-person Brazilian onyx dining table in the dining room, crystal chandelier-festooned high-ceilings, and a marble-lined 30-foot-long cocktail lounge dubbed the Maranello Bar all seem to suggest Casa Maranello might be more of an afters-at-mine destination for one of Magic City’s sports superstars. Perhaps the perfect pad for Tua Tagovailoa or Bam Adebayo to call home.

Should any of your new friends want to sleep over, the halfdozen bedroom suites, including a pair of primary suites, supply five-star resort levels of comfort. Each boasts walk-in closets and en-suite spa level bathrooms. For your other playmates, you can offer four well-appointed guest suites which still ensure both lavish style and privacy in case anyone should need it.

Of course there are plenty of distractions outdoors should you want to keep the party going the next day—centered around the 95-foot pool plucked directly from an Aman Resort. Most of the verdant campus looks out onto the glimmering lake, all landscaped for decadent daytime soirées. Drinks can be served from the pool cabana’s bar, which also comes equipped with a full kitchen and bathroom. Or guests can elevate the rest and recovery to the next level by indulging in the home’s insane Bulgari-inspired spa. The five-diamond wellness oasis boasts its own indoor pool, as well as a Himalayan salt room, sauna, and steam room.

If action is more your bag, Casa Maranello also entertains with its own basketball court that doubles for pickleball. There’s even a putting green and its own private soccer field. Because what would a $55-million Ferrari-dedicated mansion be without its own pitch? One amusing detail reported is that Casa Maranello was not merely paid for via cash or loan, but was partly swapped for a nearby $26 million 18,000-square-foot mansion. Like trading baseball cards, but for the G800 crowd.

This article originally appeared in Maxim’s September/October 2025 issue.

Mercedes is honoring its historic 12-pot lineage’s power, performance, and poshness with the the ultra exclusive Mercedes-Maybach V12 Edition. The massive powerplant has been a hallmark of the brand since the 1930s, when the first Maybach-produced 12-cylinder debuted in the Maybach Zeppelin. That legendary model, engineered by Karl Maybach, was lauded for its technically advanced features, performance, and ride comfort, described in a 1934 brochure as “the ultimate automobile of wish fulfilment, characterized by distinguished elegance and power.” The Maybach Zeppelin was one of few of its contemporaries that could crack 100 mph.

The Mercedes V12s that are so revered today were born in the 1990s with the M120, which not only powered its most opulent S-Class sedans but served as the basis for the legendary CLK GRT supercar and even the Pagani Zonda. The modern twin-turbo iteration of the German marque’s V12 primarily powers the Mercedes-Maybach S 680, in which it develops 612 horsepower that pushes the 5,000 pound-plus behemoth to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds.

That very vehicle serves as the basis for the V12 Edition seen here, which has been beautified by the Mercedes’ Manufaktur personalization division. The striking two-tone exterior features olive metallic on the upper body and obsidian black metallic on the lower, separated by a contrasting high-tech silver metallic pinstripe—a meticulous paint application that can take up to ten working days. The exterior’s olive metallic also appears on the five-hole forged wheels but the most striking single detail is arguably the C-pillar’s unique Maybach emblem, featuring chrome, gold and a prominent “12,” a direct tribute to the hood ornament of the historic Maybach Zeppelin.

Inside, the cabin brings a smorgasbord of bespoke luxury with Nappa leather in Manufaktur-exclusive saddle brown and complementing high-gloss brown burr walnut wood trim that extends to the handcrafted steering wheel. The vehicle’s rarity is plainly marked by a “1 of 50” badge in the center console and a golden inlay on the rear center console, which features the Maybach emblem framed by twelve golden circles. This intricate inlay alone requires up to seven working days of precise handcraftsmanship. Each of the 50 vehicles will also come with bespoke accessories, including Robbe & Berking silver-plated champagne flutes with edition-specific engraving and a handcrafted key gift box.

The Mercedes-Maybach V12 Edition is only available in select markets, with deliveries to customers set to begin in autumn 2025.

Six years after the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ broke the 300 mph barrier and the record for the fastest production car, a new speed king has been crowned. A pure EV from China dubbed the YangWang U9X Xtreme took to Germany’s Automotive Testing Papenburg track to hit a maddeningly quick top speed of 308.4 mph, usurping the Bugatti’s 304.8 mph.

In the Chiron’s speediest spec, its 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 cranked out 1,578 horsepower. That sounds like—and objectively is—a ridiculous figure, until the U9 Xtreme’s powertrain is considered. According to Car and Driver, a 1,200-volt system features a motor per wheel, each producing a peak 744 horsepower, adding up to a combined output of 2,959 horsepower.

The record-setting driver is Marc Basseng, a seasoned endurance race winner who previously set a production-car lap record at the Nürburgring with a Pagani Zonda F in 2007. “This record was only possible because the U9 Xtreme simply has incredible performance,” Basseng said. “Technically, something like this is not possible with a combustion engine. Thanks to the electric motor, the car is quiet, there are no load changes, and that allows me to focus even more on the track.”

The YangWang U9 Extreme is a more specialized version of the standard U9, a hypercar currently available in China with a 1,287-hp quad-motor configuration that’s good for a 60 mph time of 2.3 seconds. While a foreign nameplate in the states, YangWang is a luxury brand under the umbrella of BYD, which has just surpassed Tesla in European EV sales for the second consecutive month. BYD has a vehicle that competes with just about other body style of EV on the global market, including the Volkswagen ID.3-rvialing BYD Dolphin, the Tesla Model 3-rivaling BYD Seal sedan, and even the BYD Shark, a plug-in hybrid pickup truck.

The U9 Xtreme is sure to be among the rarest of Chinese EV behemoth’s offerings, with production limited to just 30 examples. Unfortunately, no BYD products are currently sold in the U.S.