The Man Who Turned Supercar Road Trips into a Global Lifestyle Empire
By TheCarsTimes.com | Special Report
It’s one thing to love cars. It’s another to build a global lifestyle movement around them. Maximillion Cooper, a name that now resonates across luxury garages and celebrity circles, transformed a simple idea — driving across continents with friends — into Gumball 3000, a worldwide cultural icon that fuses cars, music, fashion, and philanthropy in one roaring celebration of individuality.
A Creative Heart with a Racer’s Soul
Born in Staffordshire, UK, Maximillion Cooper’s early life was rooted in two very different worlds: design and motorsport. Trained at Central Saint Martins, one of the world’s top fashion and art schools, he could have easily followed the classic path of a fashion house creative. But racing had its own call. He pursued motorsport, even driving for brands like Porsche and McLaren, before combining both passions in an entirely new format.
By the late 1990s, Cooper had a vision: a road rally that wasn’t just about speed or trophies, but about style, celebrity, and spontaneity. In 1999, Gumball 3000 took off. What began as a European joyride became a magnet for athletes, artists, influencers, and entrepreneurs.
Gumball 3000: The Rally That Redefined Cool
Forget pit stops and podiums — this was about pulling up to a palace in a Lamborghini, dancing all night, and waking up in a new country. The Gumball 3000 rally traverses over 3,000 miles, changing routes every year and passing through some of the most glamorous cities on Earth — from London to Tokyo, New York to Marrakech.
Participants don’t just drive; they live the experience. The rally includes live concerts, fashion drops, art installations, luxury brand showcases, and charity auctions — all curated under Cooper’s creative leadership. With Gumball 3000, the car is no longer the product — it’s the passport to a world of cultural fusion.
The event has featured stars like Deadmau5, Tony Hawk, Usher, David Guetta, and even royal families, with hypercars from Koenigsegg, Bugatti, Pagani, and custom one-offs making headlines every year.
Beyond the Engine: Building a Brand with Purpose
Unlike many events built on exclusivity, Gumball 3000 embraces accessibility through aspiration. Maximillion Cooper has always kept the brand open to street culture, graffiti artists, skateboarders, tech entrepreneurs, and fashion rebels. That democratization of luxury — without diluting its edge — is one of the rally’s superpowers.
But it doesn’t stop at lifestyle. In 2018, Cooper founded the Gumball 3000 Foundation, targeting youth empowerment projects globally. The foundation has supported skate parks, educational initiatives, and youth centers across Europe and North America, often collaborating with the Tony Hawk Foundation and Laureus Sport for Good.
The Private Driver: Love, Legacy and Low Key Power
Cooper married Grammy-winning rapper Eve in 2014, and the couple now shares a son, Wilde Wolf, born in 2022. Blending fame with discretion, they’ve remained a symbol of how pop culture and the car world can thrive side-by-side — grounded, but unstoppable.
From his previous marriage, Cooper also has four children, balancing family with his ever-growing international ventures, from fashion capsules and licensing to digital platforms and media content related to Gumball 3000.
2025: The Next Chapter of Gumball
This year’s Gumball 3000 is expected to hit new highs with routes planned across Spain, Monaco, Italy, and the UAE. The excitement is real — not just for supercar owners, but for fans who see Gumball as more than an event: a movement.
With TheCarsTimes.com joining as a special guest at upcoming stages, we’ll be taking you inside the exclusive garages, gala nights, and behind-the-scenes moments that define Gumball’s one-of-a-kind DNA.