The world of motorsport is built on quite a familiar narrative: young drivers are starting from karting, and after spending years working their way up, building the racing career. However, sometimes success stories are written in a different way.
Swedish entrepreneur Carl Moon (full name: Carl Runefelt) confirmed it, getting his first podium ever at the age of 32, taking third place in the prestigious Ferrari Challenge series.
Dream put on hold
As a teenager, Moon lived and breathed motorsports, spending hours in a go-kart seat. While his friends wanted to go bowling, Moon headed to the track and loved every second of it. However, he faced a problem, which is quite common to many young drivers beginning the career - lack of financial resources.
Unable to fund a traditional racing career, Moon focused on entrepreneurship, where he achieved significant success, while building and supporting ventures across the technology, blockchain, and digital asset sectors. Today, he is founder and CEO of The Moon Group - a Dubai-based investment and venture firm focused on emerging technologies and high-growth startups.
In addition to leading The Moon Group, Carl is the founder and host of The Moon Show, a media platform and YouTube channel he launched in 2017, where he shares interviews, market commentary, and educational content focused on entrepreneurship, investing, emerging technologies, and digital innovation with a global audience.
Having achieved a strong presence in the entrepreneurial and investment communities, now Carl is a frequent speaker on such topics as venture capital and the future of digital finance.
Carl is also developing his musical career as a singer and songwriter. He has already released such songs as "Walk on Water," "In One Direction," "No Escape," and "In Glory," which are available on major streaming platforms and dedicated to his music YouTube channel. Recently, Moon released a clip on one of his songs, "Dragon," which has earned more than 950 K views within 3 weeks.
This hard-earned business success allowed Carl Moon to return to the track and continue following his dream as a motorsport professional.
Closing the experience gap
What made Moon’s third-place finish at Le Mans truly extraordinary is his limited time behind the wheel. While many of his competitors boasted five, ten, or even twenty years of racing experience, Moon had only driven a real race car for the first time the previous year.
To close this massive experience gap, he applied the exact same discipline and principles that have actually driven his entrepreneurial success: "If you don’t want to win, you’re not going to win".
For this, he spent countless hours on intensive simulator training and meticulous race preparation. Demonstrated approach proved the importance for conquering the grueling 13.6-kilometer Circuit de la Sarthe - a historic track that blends permanent racing sections with public roads, meaning actual track time and preparation are incredibly limited.
Race to remember, podium earned
Stepping into the cockpit of his Ferrari 296 Challenge, the most powerful Challenge car in Ferrari history, having 700 horsepower and capable of speeds exceeding 300 km/h, set a pre-race goal. It was - to fight his way from 10th to a 5th-place finish. “I knew I could do it. I said to myself, 'I've seen people go from last to first place. If they can do that, I can go from tenth to fifth,”- recalling Moon.
During the race, Carl discovered that technicians made a mistake, so during the whole race, he did not even have the radio. “It was horrible; I couldn't hear my coach, not a single word. But up until that point, I managed to do everything perfectly. Also, I had no clue what position I was in. I could have been P7, P3, I had no idea,” he says.
Despite the lack of communication, he executed an amazing start, immediately jumping up in the order and maintaining flawless precision, navigating the corners of a difficult race track and competing with approximately 60 drivers. Initially, Carl crossed the line in P5, but post-race classification changes promoted him to P3, giving him his first-ever Ferrari Challenge podium.
“I am so happy I didn't make a single mistake of my own. Everything was amazing. I didn't screw up a single corner. The consistency, from my experience, was perfect. It was, you know, 99%. I can't remember a single mistake,” said Carl Moon, reflecting on the race. “This is a dream come true for me to get a podium at Le Mans. This is the most historic track in the world, and getting a podium here is something I'll remember forever. My goal is to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans one day, and this was just the beginning.”
Before his podium finish at Le Mans, Carl Moon had already shown promising results in the Ferrari Challenge series. In March 2026, in his Ferrari Challenge debut at Circuit Paul Ricard, he secured sixth- and seventh-place finishes, already demonstrating significant progress in his first season of competition.
Business Outstanders brings you sharp insights on tech, business, entrepreneurship, law, crypto, and more. We uncover what’s next. Stay updated, sign up for our newsletter and be part of the future!
