Sado Maksuti was just 10 days old when he moved from Macedonia to Prijedor, where his grandfather and grandmother had already lived. Because of that, he considers Prijedor his city, but he had to leave during the war. Sado was only 16 years old when he fled to Switzerland without his parents. His father was killed, and his mother went with his sisters to Macedonia. From a difficult life, Maksuti, through hard work and effort, became a respected businessman who has collaborated with numerous stars, and has now fulfilled his dream – he drives an Ares S1 car, the same one that Cristiano Ronaldo drives.
His father was killed in Prijedor in 1992
“I was and remain a Prijedor native. My grandfather had lived in Ljubija near Prijedor since 1947. I finished elementary school “16 maj” in Prijedor, where I made many friends, and I also played for the youth team of ‘Rudar.’ My father Aziz was a well-known and beloved confectioner in Prijedor, but unfortunately, he was killed during the war in 1992. That same year, I fled to Switzerland, where I had a difficult life without my parents and family because my mother went with my sisters to Macedonia. At 16, I went to stay with relatives in Switzerland. My family had traditionally been involved in the hospitality business. My great-grandfather had a restaurant in Belgrade from 1910 to 1923. Before the war in the 1990s, my parents bought a business, which they renovated in 1991, and reopened it in January 1992. Then the war happened, so it was up to me to work hard to repay my parents’ debts while also taking care of my mother, grandfather, and grandmother,” Maksuti begins his life story.
From football to concert organizer
The first days and months of refuge in Switzerland were difficult for him. He missed his family, the city where he had lived happily until then, his school friends, and his teammates from Rudar. In Switzerland, he continued to play football, which helped him heal his sorrow and distract him from all the bad things his family had endured and experienced.
“By playing football, I made a lot of friends. I played for FC Winterthur. In fact, I’ve lived in Winterthur since 1992. I started organizing concerts in Switzerland in 1998. All of that is somehow related to hospitality, which ran in my blood. I met people and started throwing parties for 300 people. The first party was in Winterthur. Over time, the business grew, and I reached the level of organizing festivals with up to 65.000 people. I collaborated with many pop and R&B stars – 50 Cent, Pitbull, Calvin Harris, Akon, Snoop Dogg, Rita Ora, Eminem,” says the successful Bosnian of Macedonian descent.
A turning point in his business happened in 2011 when he ventured into the real estate business.
“I fully shifted to this business in 2014, though I was still organizing festivals until then. Today, I handle several hundred apartments a year,” says Sado.
Luxury cars – A great passion
His great passion is luxury cars, and he is the proud owner of the Italian supercar Ares S1, produced in a limited series of 24 units worldwide, which he paid 650.000 euros for. Its current price is 1 million euros.
“As a child, I loved cars. Before the war, my dad had a Lada, and I always told him to buy a better one. Since 1999, I’ve been driving luxury cars. The most expensive one is the Ares S1, and I have several luxury cars in my garage. My lifelong dream is to find and buy a model of the Lada 1600 Special, in red, which I want to restore. I was the first to get the Ares S1 and Ronaldo and Supercar Blondie ordered one too. This weekend, I’m attending a gathering in Italy organized by the Supercar Owners Circle, where the world’s most luxurious cars are showcased. It’s held in a different country every year, and well-known figures from all over the world, including Formula 1, attend,” says Maksuti.
He did not forget Prijedor
He comes to Prijedor once a year to meet up with friends. His family home was destroyed, but his parents’ shop still stands.
“I still have contact and a close relationship with my school friends to this day. Every year I visit my father’s grave in Prijedor. I was born an Albanian, grew up as a Bosnian, and today I live as a Swiss. A close friend I hang out with in Switzerland is Haris Dubica, a well-known Bosnian director of music videos. I’m still a big football fan, and with my business partner Rolf Schubiger, I regularly watch matches of the Swiss club St. Gallen,” Sado said.
