You’re stuck at a red light. A Lamborghini roars up beside you, its engine growling like it’s taunting your modest sedan. You glance at the driver—Gucci shades, slicked-back hair, a wristwatch that probably costs more than your car. Must be nice to have that kind of money, right? Turns out, the joke might be on him. According to Lamborghini salesman Ed Bolian, that flashy guy in the driver’s seat is probably drowning in debt.

“75% are financed,” Bolian says. “Not because they got a low interest rate. It’s because they cannot afford it.”

Data from Cox Automotive agrees with Bolian: Just 8.5% of drivers in vehicles over $100k bought their car outright. Nearly one third are just leasing. Of the 60.4% with a loan, average term is 56 months and average payment is $2,201 a month.

Bolian has seen it all. He worked as a Lamborghini and McLaren sales director before founding VINwiki, the wildly popular car-history platform and YouTube channel. His insights into the supercar world reveal just how much peacocking goes into it—and how often those feathers are borrowed.

“Yes, absolutely, people come in with their fake watches and… overly designer clothes, and that they’re trying to pretend that they can buy something,” Bolian explains. “They’re just trying to get a test drive or something like that.”

According to Bolian, it’s easy to spot a wannabe. “If they’re just itching to get in the car immediately—‘Let’s go!’—then you know that they weren’t going to buy it anyway.”

The average Lamborghini buyer is in debt

But the guys who do buy? It’s not always because they should. Bolian recalls one customer who “just wanted to have a newer car.” The man already owed $100,000 on a $50,000 Aston Martin DB9. He wanted to roll the debt into another deal. “We tried so many deals, and I ended up selling him an Aston Martin Vantage… He owed at least a hundred more than that car was going to be worth immediately. But he loved it. That was his thing.”

So, if most Lamborghini drivers are rolling in debt, how do you spot the real wealthy ones? Bolian says they’re not in the brand-new Huracán. “If they’re driving an iconic vintage or significant car—something that’s 10, 20, 30, 40 years old—there’s a really good chance [they paid cash].”

He contrasts them with the more common sight: “If they’ve got a brand-new Huracán… don’t assume that person has a lot of money. That guy’s probably drowning in payments.”

Capital One points out that one-off supercars are also a dead giveaway of a truly wealthy driver. “Bentley clients who are fortunate enough to be selected to purchase one of the brand’s special limited-edition vehicles—like its $1.9 million Bacalar roadster, or its $2.1 million Blower Reproduction series—must pay in cash.”

Do millionaire’s drive Toyotas?

Multiple studies claim millionaires prefer practical “stealth wealth” vehicles such as Toyotas, Volvos, or Ford F-150s. But Bolian isn’t convinced. “Most millionaires are retired,” he explains, adding that their financial priorities often shift away from flashy purchases. Younger millionaires, on the other hand, are a different story. According to Bolian, “If you ask what millionaires under the age of 40 drive, it would be BMWs, Mercedes, Audi… even Teslas.”

Bolian points out that the genuinely wealthy often don’t feel the need to show off. “The ones that can easily write the check are the hardest to motivate to actually do so.” So while that Lamborghini cruising past you might look like the pinnacle of success. But there’s a good chance the driver is just another guy pretending to live the dream—and paying dearly for it.

Hear more of Bolian’s stories in the video below: