Teenage CEO turns love for cars into thriving exotic car rental company

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Talking cars comes easy for 19-year-old Jonny Netz.

"We have a BMW M4, Mercedes S-600, that’s a luxury car. We have a Porsche, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, a Maserati, that classic Ferrari," rattles off Netz.

Like most boys growing up, he has always loved the fancy ride. But few become teenage CEOs behind the wheel of luxury models.

"My friends are totally jealous. I’ve always loved exotic cars growing up," said Netz.

Netz is the founder of Zadart Exotic Car Rentals in Bellevue. 



He created the business in high school after a simple request for some cash from his parents inspired him to get creative for what he wanted.

"Can I have 500 bucks to buy rims for my car?" Netz remembers asking his father. "And he looked at me and said, 'Jonny, if you want something for yourself, you have to work for it' and I took it to heart," said Netz.

Netz got creative listing his Ford SUV on a car rental website. The idea didn't turn much profit so he pitched an idea to his father to invest in luxury cars and rent them out.

"I wasn’t sure about cars, but I really wanted him to have a business. It’s such a great way to start in life, I decided to be supportive," said Amir Netz, Jonny's father.

Netz admits he is fortunate his family backed his plan for the business and supported him along the way. Family seed money started the engines of the company.

"I started to realize this was more than a passion of mine, this was starting to turn into a full-blown business," said Netz.

Zadart's clients range from business men to people looking to rent a car for a special event or to simply fulfill a dream to get behind the wheel of a luxury car.

"Maybe a guy wants to take his girlfriend out on a date, or a girlfriend wants to surprise her boyfriend," said Netz.

As a teenage CEO Netz says he's encountered people who are encouraging about youth entrepreneurship and has also experienced potential employees who are hesitant to work for a teenage boss.

"A lot of other people will look at me and say, 'I don’t know if I can trust you, you’re just 19, you’re going to school. I don’t know if I can respect such a young boss who just graduated high school,'" said Netz.

A teenage CEO who is navigating the road of leadership fueled by passion, a youthful drive and a determination to take a dream into high gear.

Renting the exotic cars at Zadart requires renters to be at least 21 years of age, provide proof of identification and valid car insurance that covers rentals. The cost for renting the vehicles ranges from $200 to $1,200 per day.