Ausonius developed a hatred for Communists, Social Democrats, and immigrants while fostering an ambition of gaining wealth. He worked a low-paying job as a taxi driver, but later started trading in stocks and bonds. His talent for the market quickly earned him a fairly large fortune, resulting in him adopting the yuppie lifestyle. By the late 1980s he owned a luxurious apartment, a Toyota Supra (rather than owning a Porsche, which many other yuppies drove at that time, as he despised the company), and a mobile phone (before the 1990s, such a device was a luxury item usually associated with a jet-set lifestyle). However, poorly chosen investments depleted his fortune. This was further aggravated by an addiction to gambling. As a result of the latter, during a trip to Germany he found himself in dire economic circumstances. With funds running out, Ausonius turned to bank robbing to maintain his lifestyle. He performed more than eighteen robberies, largely in identical fashion.