Michael Perridon revealed in The Dutch Dragons podcast that he missed out on millions by not partnering with Max Verstappen. In the 2000s, the Dutch businessman sponsored Jos Verstappen with his brand Trust, but because it cost him ‘millions’, he turned down a new offer from manager Raymond Vermeulen.
Michael Perridon, founder of the electronics company Trust, passed up a lucrative offer to invest in Max Verstappen. The Dutch businessman sponsored Jos Verstappen in the early 2000s. As a result, his company’s logo was visible in the premier class of motorsport, and in 2003 it even appeared on the side of the Minardi PS03.
Raymond Vermeulen, former manager of Jos and now of Max, approached Perridon again with an enticing offer. “I always sponsored Jos Verstappen with my company, Max’s father, and it cost millions,” Perridon begins his story in The Dutch Dragons podcast. “At one point his manager comes to me, he is also Max’s manager. He said: ‘Do you want to invest five million? Then you get 10 percent of all Max’s income for the rest of his life’.”
A Big Mistake
Perridon continues: “But what did I say? I won’t do it. I’ve invested enough in your family. A small mistake. Sometimes you get it wrong, right?” The wrong assessment cost him dearly, as it would have yielded him an astronomical return on his investment. Reportedly, Max earns about 60 million a year at Red Bull. On top of that, there have been multiple rumors suggesting that Aston Martin is trying to lure the Dutchman away from the Milton Keynes team. The rest of the panel unanimously exclaimed: “A big mistake.”
