The remnants of Bashar al-Assad’s lavish lifestyle are on display in a newly surfaced video, offering a stark contrast to the struggles of the Syrian people.
The video, verified by ABC News, showcases a collection of luxury vehicles abandoned in the garage of the presidential palace in Damascus. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Aston Martins are among the high-end automobiles left behind as rebel forces swept into the capital city. The ousted leader fled the country in the wake of this offensive.
The person filming the video expresses disbelief at the opulence, saying, “Were we even living? Watch this my dear … we are not in Dubai!” One of the prominent cars appears to be a Ferrari F50, a highly sought-after model of which only 349 were ever produced. A single one of these cars sold for over $5.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction earlier this year.
Assad’s departure on Sunday followed a swift advance by rebel forces, culminating in the capture of Damascus. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group’s military command declared the city “free of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad.” Reports indicate rebel forces looted the palace and various government buildings.
Assad left Damascus by plane on Sunday morning. Reports from Russian state media indicate that he and his family have been granted political asylum in Moscow, although the exact location of the former president and his family has not been confirmed by the Kremlin.
The Assad family had ruled Syria since 1971, and his ouster brings an end to a 24-year reign that saw the country plunge into a brutal civil war in 2011.
The luxury vehicles provide some insight into Assad’s wealth, the full scope of which remains difficult to determine. A 2022 Department of State report to Congress estimated the family’s net worth at between $1 billion and $2 billion, which the department couldn’t corroborate with certainty. This is due to the family’s assets being hidden across various accounts, real estate holdings, and tax havens.
This display of wealth stands in stark contrast to the poverty endured by a large segment of the Syrian population; according to the United Nations Refugee Agency, about 90% of Syrians are below the poverty line as of March, and nearly 13 million are food insecure.
