Taylor El Moussa would have been happy with a used Honda, her father says. Her family chose a BMW X5 instead, and Tarek El Moussa is defending a gift that Page Six puts at $150,000.
In its account of his October 28 appearance on the “Money Rehab” podcast, the outlet reported that Tarek considered the SUV a reward for his daughter’s hard work. He pointed to her 4.2 GPA and her selection as MVP of her freshman soccer team.
The “Flip or Flop” star joined his ex-wife, Christina Haack, and his wife, Heather El Moussa, to arrange the surprise for the 16-year-old. On the family’s Instagram post, the caption joked about getting all three adults involved: “What’s more of a surprise… the car for Taylor or the fact that the three of us actually pulled this off?”
Tarek’s explanation also included a concern familiar to parents of new drivers: safety. He argued the expensive BMW gave him peace of mind.
Dad’s Choice
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“That thing is built like a tank,” Tarek said in the interview, as quoted by Page Six. “She’s in a safe car, and she loves it.”
“She’s an absolutely fantastic kid and didn’t just get it,” he said. “She actually earned it and, if you ask me, she deserved it because she worked really, really hard and didn’t even ask for that car.”
A Familiar Gesture
Buying a loved one an expensive car was familiar territory for Tarek. During the same interview, he recalled buying Heather a white Ferrari on their second date after she named it as her dream car. “Third date she moved in,” he added.
When discussing Taylor’s financial future, Tarek described more than the SUV. He said he had been investing for her in stocks and real estate throughout her life, and argued that growing up with money had shaped her attitude toward possessions differently from his own.
He recalled Taylor flying on private jets when she was about a year old. By contrast, he described his own childhood as one without money and connected that experience to his interest in owning things.
“She’s always had things,” Tarek said. “So, she looks at things different than I look at things.”