Tarek El Moussa says his 16-year-old daughter earned the luxury SUV he gave her, rather than simply receiving it as a lavish gift.
The “Flip or Flop” alum defended teaming up with ex-wife Christina Haack and current wife Heather El Moussa to surprise their daughter, Taylor, with a $150,000 BMW X5.
During an appearance on the “Money Rehab” podcast Wednesday, El Moussa highlighted Taylor’s achievements, including her 4.2 GPA and being named MVP of her freshman soccer team.
“She’s an absolutely fantastic kid and didn’t just get it. 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,” Tarek said.
He added that Taylor would have been perfectly happy with a used Honda, explaining that the BMW was also purchased to ease his concerns about her safety.
“That thing is built like a tank,” he said, adding, “She’s in a safe car, and she loves it.”
Tarek also pushed back against the idea that his daughter is “a spoiled brat.” He said he has spent years preparing her financially by investing in stocks and real estate on her behalf.
“She was flying in private jets when she was like, 1 years old, OK, so this kid, she’s grown up around things,” he explained. “So when I grew up, I didn’t have anything, right? So I’m obsessed with things because I never had things.”
“She’s always had things,” he continued. “So, she looks at things different than I look at things.”
The BMW is not the first extravagant car Tarek has given someone close to him. Podcast host Christina Lapin was stunned when he recalled buying Heather a white Ferrari on their second date after she mentioned it was her dream car.
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“Third date she moved in,” he bragged.
In August, Tarek shared an Instagram video showing the moment he, Heather and Haack surprised Taylor with the expensive silver SUV.
Taylor appeared overwhelmed by the gesture, wiping away tears before exclaiming, “Oh my God!”
Tarek captioned the video, “What’s more of a surprise… the car for Taylor or the fact that the three of us actually pulled this off? 😂 The car is so well deserved, we love you so much Tay.”
Tarek, 45, and Haack, 43, also share an 11-year-old son, Brayden. The couple was married for seven years before splitting in 2016.
Despite their divorce, the former spouses continued hosting HGTV’s “Flip or Flop” together until the series concluded in 2022 after 10 seasons.
Tarek married Heather, 39, in October 2021. He and the “Selling Sunset” star welcomed their son Tristan, now 3, in 2023.
In July, Heather responded to a “rude” social media user who asked what it was like never to worry about money.
“We didn’t come from money,” she said of herself and her husband. “Tarek and I, both separately and together, have worked very hard to get where we are today.”