From Superbike to luxury: the rebirth of Michael Ruben Rinaldi amid watches and diamonds

From dust to the stars. Michael Ruben Rinaldi started from the bottom, from a humble family. Thanks to motorcycling, he achieved a remarkable social ascent. That amber-skinned kid reached the top of the Superbike World Championship and today has launched his own company: Rinaldi Watches & Jewellery.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi was born in Rimini in December 1995. His dad is from San Vito, a hamlet in the municipality of Santarcangelo di Romagna. His mother is originally from Venezuela. His family wasn’t wealthy but did everything possible to nurture their son’s passion—he holds dual citizenship (Italian and Venezuelan). Young Michael Ruben was lightning-fast from his mini-moto days. His “sports godfather” was Carlos Lavado, an established Venezuelan rider who had become a fixture in Romagna. He helped him a lot at the start of his career, and Michael repaid him with results. Rinaldi shone in MiniGP, won the 125 Italian Cup, then moved on to the CIV Moto3 and even made a few appearances in the World Championship. In 2014, however, he found himself practically on foot, but Paolo Meluzzi of Gas Racing strongly believed in him and offered him the chance to race in the European Superstock 600. He didn’t win but made a mark, and the following year he was chosen by Manuel Puccetti for the San Carlo Team Italia. That season he finished second, behind only Toprak Razgatlioglu.

The definitive turning point came in 2016. He was selected by the Aruba.it Junior team for Superstock 1000, and the following year he was crowned European Champion. It was his passport to WorldSBK. He initially raced with Go Eleven and immediately secured solid results, including a win. He triumphed in the 2020 Independent Trophy and earned a factory seat. Michael Ruben Rinaldi then raced for three years with the Ducati factory team alongside Alvaro Bautista. He won races and regularly stood on the podium, but more was expected. When that chapter closed, his sporting decline began. For a rider, it’s incredibly difficult to go from a top-tier factory team to very private outfits. Michael Ruben Rinaldi could no longer secure notable results.

However, during his years as a factory rider, he skillfully built an image and a position for himself. His real winning “late-braking move” came off the track. Rinaldi turned his hunger for victories into business acumen, becoming a rising manager in the luxury watch and high-end jewelry sector.

He recently presented his new company on social media, where he is both the owner and the ambassador. By his side in this new entrepreneurial venture is his stunning partner Marta di Matteo, a well-known photo model recognized in the paddock as a “Monster Girl.” The couple shines just like the diamonds they promote on Instagram—refined and exclusive luxury goods.

The social climb has been remarkable: from the mini-moto tracks of Romagna to the purity of precious stones, without ever losing that competitive fire only those who started from the bottom possess. In the paddock, there are whispers of a possible return to competition, perhaps in CIV Superbike on a Ducati, but no details. Today, Michael Ruben Rinaldi is fully immersed in his new life as an entrepreneur, and at first glance he seems truly good at it. Clearly, it’s too early to declare victory, but credit is due to someone who, at 30, has managed to build a new life.