“When I was 5 until probably 10 or 11, I used to sleep with a picture of a 328, the Ferrari from ‘Magnum P.I.,’ under my pillow,” said Dr. Michael Apa, the go-to name in cosmetic dentistry from Beverly Hills to Dubai, trusted by celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Chloë Sevigny and Spike Lee.

“And I would draw it,” he continued. “I must have had thousands of drawings. It was so far out of my realm of possible that it just seemed like a fantasy. I was obsessed.”

The fantasy has become a reality — Apa now owns a collection of 10 Ferraris — though not without grit and persistence. It’s much like his rise in dentistry.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Apa, 48, knew from a young age that he wanted to be a dentist. The dream came partly from his childhood health struggles; he vividly remembers overhearing his mother’s tearful call to a pediatrician and vowing never to be “on the other end of that phone call.” But his career, he added, was also inspired by his grandmother, who worked as an office manager in a dental practice. “The atmosphere was always so positive,” he said.

Those early experiences, combined with a fascination for artistry and precision, laid the foundation for his career in minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry at Apa Aesthetic — which is known for its hyper-personalized, patient-focused approach, delivered in a luxury setting with top-notch materials.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in biology from LeMoyne College, Apa graduated from New York University College of Dentistry, where he helped establish its first undergraduate aesthetics program and opened a clinical education space. Five years into his career, he was honored with the AACD Cosmetic Dentistry Award in 2007 for outstanding performance. Today, with locations in Beverly Hills, Dubai, Miami and New York, he moves in constant rotation between cities. And there’s a Ferrari waiting for him in each one.

It’s the same drive in work that has fueled his passion for the Italian luxury sports cars. Along the way, it’s come with an urge to push back against those who have doubted him, he admitted.

One example came early on, before he had his own practice, when he decided to purchase his first Ferrari. “There was a guy in the office, very wealthy, who told me, ‘You can’t afford a Ferrari unless you’re making X amount of money,’” Apa recalled. “I wasn’t making that, but I really loved the car.”

At 30, he bought his first marque, only to discover he’d been scammed by a crook running a Ponzi scheme — persuaded to buy a titanium gray 430 Ferrari and put $20,000 down for a promised 458 Italia that never came. “But I used that, and I maneuvered my way into a dealership. They saw me as a kid starting to buy Ferraris and said, ‘Hey, we should probably pay attention to this kid.’ That’s what really started my journey.”

Purchasing a Ferrari is more complicated than walking into a dealership, he explained: “You have to buy a secondhand Ferrari, and then you have to be invited to buy your first car that’s new, because you have to design it. Ferrari makes these special race car editions of each model, with limited production, and you have to build your relationship with your dealership and with Ferrari and then you have to build your portfolio as a loyal customer to get invited to buy a car.”

The cars are astronomically expensive, but also a sound investment: “The minute that you receive it, it’s worth two times what you paid for it,” said Apa.

Nearly two decades later, Apa’s curated collection has earned him a coveted invitation from Ferrari’s president to purchase their most exclusive supercar: the F80, which he’ll receive in three years. It’s red with a “dreamline” white stripe.

“It’s impossible to get this car, and I’m not even going to tell you how much it costs, because it’s ridiculous,” he smiled. (It’s reportedly in the millions.)

But it’s deeper. “It’s finally getting there and finally feeling like I deserve the car,” he said, adding he also relates to Enzo Ferrari, the Italian racing driver and entrepreneur. “I really resonated with his story…him being constantly told ‘no’ and how and why he persevered. He persevered because of his love for racing.”

Apa’s affinity for Ferrari mirrors his pursuit of excellence in dentistry and design. He wears Brunello Cucinelli exclusively, drawn to the craftsmanship and brand heritage, and he’s also an avid art collector.

“Brunello Cucinelli, Ferrari, these are brands that I’ve looked at from a different perspective and figured out how to pull those things that make them special into what I do,” said Apa. “I’m always trying to draw those parallels.”