Tarek El Moussa Didn’t Only Buy His Teen a $150K BMW—He Invested in Her Real Estate Future Too

HGTV star Tarek El Moussa splurged on a $150,000 luxury vehicle for his daughter’s 16th birthday—and is defending the purchase after receiving a mixed response on social media.

During an Oct. 28 appearance on the “Money Rehab” podcast with Nicole Lapin, the “Flip or Flop” star explained that the lavish gift was completely justified, citing daughter Taylor El Moussa’s impressive performance at school as “good reason.”

“She’s got a 4.2 GPA. She was MVP of her freshman soccer team. She’s an absolutely fantastic kid, and she didn’t just get it—she actually earned it,” the proud dad explained. “If you ask me, she deserved it because she worked really, really hard.”

Tarek—who arranged the gift with Taylor’s mother, Christina Haack, and his wife, Heather El Moussa—explained that the BMW X5 his teen daughter received was more than just a flashy set of wheels.

“That thing is built like a tank. The biggest thing for me was safety,” he said. “She’s in a safe car, and she loves it.”

The real estate investor went on to add that “it was more of a surprise,” and not at all a gesture Taylor had been expecting, joking that she would have been thrilled to receive a “used Honda.”

In fact, Tarek even said that had Taylor chosen the car herself, she probably would have picked out a Ford Bronco, a ride that’s about half the price of the SUV he purchased. The extravagant BMW was actually his choice.

Tarek shared some additional insight into Taylor’s upbringing, noting that her lifelong exposure to luxurious items has given her a unique perspective on material objects.

“Here’s the truth. She was flying in private jets when she was like, 1 year old,” said Tarek. “So this kid has grown up around things. 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.”

Nicole questioned whether the reality TV personality was concerned that such an expensive vehicle may “spoil” his daughter.

“If she were going to be a spoiled brat, she probably wouldn’t have got the 4.2 GPA, she probably wouldn’t have been MVP of her soccer team, and she probably wouldn’t have done the extra coaching, right?” Tarek replied. “For me, this is a reward for all the work she’s done.”

Nicole also inquired if it may have been a smarter move to get Taylor a lower-priced car, and “invest the rest for her.” But Tarek assured that he already has that covered, and has also snapped up stocks and real estate for his teen daughter.

The sweet 16 celebration wasn’t the first time Tarek has surprised someone with a new car. He revealed that he marked his second date with Heather with another pricey whip back in 2019.

“I bought Heather a Ferrari on our second date,” he said. “I showed up with a Ferrari and I bought it for her, because on the first date, I asked her her dream car. She said it was a white Ferrari. So then I bought her a white Ferrari.”

Heather shared a look at the stunning gift in a September 2019 Instagram post, which explained that the car was also a birthday gift.

"I waited 32 years to meet this special man," she wrote in the caption. "I'm a hopeless romantic to my core and always believed in true love. My advice is to wait and don't settle for anything less."

Tarek said that by date No. 3, the couple were living together.

The pair wed in October 2021 and later welcomed a son, Tristan Jay El Moussa, 3.

Tarek also has an 11-year-old son named Brayden James El Moussa with ex-wife Christina.