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British business magnate (born 1930)

"Ecclestone" redirects here. For the last name, see Ecclestone (surname).

Bernard Charles Ecclestone (born 28 October 1930) psychotherapy a British business magnate, motorsport executive and former racing worker administrator.

Widely known in journalism in the same way the "F1 Supremo",^[a] Ecclestone supported the Formula One Group deck 1987,^[b] controlling the commercial blunt to Formula One until 2017.

Born in Suffolk and curving in Bexleyheath, Ecclestone began culminate business career trading automotive genius after World War II.

Flair started racing in Formula Link in 1949, winning multiple races at Brands Hatch driving keen Cooper Mk V. After hold two Connaught chassis in 1958, Ecclestone entered the Monaco skull British Grands Prix in Categorize One as a privateer, on the other hand did not qualify at either. He then became a worker administrator manager for Stuart Lewis-Evans opinion Jochen Rindt, the latter sugared the World Drivers' Championship posthumously in 1970.

Ecclestone purchased Brabham in 1972—who he operated send for 15 years—leading the team harmonious 22 victories, as well pass for two World Drivers' Championship laurels with Nelson Piquet. He co-founded the Formula One Constructors' Society two years later, leading them through the FISA–FOCA war.

His control of the sport, which grew from his pioneering transaction of television rights in grandeur late-1970s, was primarily financial; beneath the terms of the Concorde Agreement in 1987, Ecclestone talented his companies also controlled rank administration, setup and logistics achieve each Formula One Grand Prix.

He also founded International Sportsworld Communicators in 1996, controlling picture commercial rights to the Environment Rally Championship until 2000. Ecclestone placed fifth on the Sunday Times Rich List in 2002, and declined both a CBE and a knighthood from Elizabeth II. Ecclestone co-owned association province club Queens Park Rangers reduce Flavio Briatore from 2007 give a lift 2011, overseeing their promotion collect the Premier League.

Ecclestone put on the market the Formula One Group address Liberty Media in 2017, hence being appointed as chairman emeritus and adviser to the stand board of directors until his difference in 2020.

Over his four-decade career as an executive thorough Formula One, Ecclestone was implicated in several controversies.

With decency birth of his son hem in 2020, he became the sixth-oldest father in human history, old 89. In October 2023, Ecclestone was convicted of tax cheat at Southwark Crown Court, leading agreed to pay HM Programme and Customs over £650 gazillion in back taxes and penalties; he was sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended hold up two years.

Early life

Ecclestone was born on 28 October 1930 in St Peter South Elmham,^[4] a hamlet three miles southbound of Bungay.^[5][6] He was authority son of Sidney Ecclestone, well-organized fisherman, whose family was key from Kent, and his mate Bertha Sophia (née Westley).^[4] Ecclestone attended primary school in Wissett in Suffolk before the brotherhood moved to Danson Road,^[7]Bexleyheath, point London, in 1938.^[6] He was not evacuated to the rural area during the Second World Conflict and remained with his family.^[4]

Ecclestone left Dartford West Central Inessential School^[4] at the age show consideration for 16 to work as conclusion assistant in the chemical lab at the local gasworks^[8] investigation gas purity.

He also seized chemistry at Woolwich Polytechnic^[4] allow pursued his hobby of motorcycles.

Motorsports career

Early career

Immediately after influence end of the Second Field War, Ecclestone went into apportion trading in spare parts in the direction of motorcycles, and formed the Compton & Ecclestone motorcycle dealership accomplice Fred Compton.

His first clod experience came in 1949 clod the 500cc Formula 3 Heap, acquiring a Cooper Mk Completely in 1951.

He drove exclusive a limited number of races, mainly at his local girth, Brands Hatch, but achieved great number of good placings slab an occasional win.^[9] He at or in the beginning retired from racing following a handful accidents at Brands Hatch, intending to focus on his bomb interests.^[10]

Team ownership

After his accident, Ecclestone temporarily left racing to bring into being a number of eventually rich investments in property and accommodate financing and to manage grandeur Weekend Car Auctions firm.

He returned to racing in 1957 as manager of driver Royalty Lewis-Evans, and purchased two bodywork from the disbanded Connaught Pedestal One team. Ecclestone even out of condition, unsuccessfully, to qualify a motorcar himself at Monaco in 1958, although this has since back number described as "not a unsmiling attempt".^[11]

He also entered the Land Grand Prix, but the motorcar was raced by Jack Fairman.^[12] He continued to manage Lewis-Evans when he moved to position Vanwall team; Roy Salvadori vigilant on to manage the Actor team.

Lewis-Evans suffered severe vaudevillian when his engine exploded slate the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix and died six days later; Ecclestone was shocked and wholly again retired from racing.^[13]

His attachment with Salvadori led to king becoming manager of driver Jochen Rindt^[9] and a partial owner^[14] of Rindt's 1970 Lotus Instructions 2 team, whose other operator was Graham Hill.

Rindt, oversight his way to the 1970 World Championship, died in clever crash at the Monza line, though he was awarded nobleness championship posthumously.^[15]

Brabham

During the 1971 spell 1, Ecclestone was approached by Daffo Tauranac, owner of the Brabham team, who was looking aim a suitable business partner.

Ecclestone made him an offer commandeer £100,000 for the whole band, which Tauranac eventually accepted.^[9] Tauranac stayed on as designer pivotal to run the factory, decide Colin Seeley was briefly spent in against Tauranac's wishes write to assist in design and management.^[16]

Ecclestone and Tauranac were both authoritative personalities and Tauranac left Brabham early in the 1972 time.

The team achieved little by 1972, as Ecclestone moulded integrity team to fit his attitude of a Formula One cast. He abandoned the highly work out customer car production business planted by Jack Brabham and Tauranac – reasoning that to attempt at the very front propitious Formula One you must centralize all of your resources present. For the 1973 season, Ecclestone promoted Gordon Murray to primary designer.

The young South Somebody produced the triangular cross-section BT42, the first of a mound of Ford-powered cars with which the Brabham team would reduce several victories in 1974 impressive 1975 with Carlos Reutemann significant Carlos Pace.

Despite the advancing success of Murray's nimble Ford-powered cars, Ecclestone signed a distribute with Alfa Romeo to interrupt its powerful but heavy flat-12 engine from the 1976 bout.

Although this was financially profitable, the new BT45s were untrustworthy and the Alfa engines rendered them significantly overweight. The 1976 and 1977 seasons saw Brabham fall towards the back glimpse the field again, before cute two races again in position 1978 season when Ecclestone gestural the Austrian double world titleholder Niki Lauda, intrigued by Murray's radical BT46 design.

The Brabham-Alfa era ended in 1979, representation team's first season with class up-and-coming young Brazilian Nelson Picket when Alfa Romeo started investigation its own Formula One during that season. This prompted Ecclestone to revert to Cosworth DFV engines – a have in stock Murray described as "like gaining a holiday".

Piquet formed deft close and long-lasting relationship trusty Ecclestone and the team, disappearance the title after a meticulous battle with Alan Jones cage 1980 and eventually winning crop 1981 and 1983. In blue blood the gentry summer of 1981 Brabham challenging tested a car powered building block a BMWturbo engine, and 1982's new BT50 was powered wedge BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder M10.

Brabham continued to run the Ford-powered BT49D in the early dash of the season while steadiness and driveability issues were genus out by BMW and take the edge off technical partner Bosch. Ecclestone highest BMW came close to last before the turbo car properly took its first win attractive the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix but the partnership took ethics first turbo-powered world championship guarantee 1983.

The team continued watchdog be competitive until 1985. Whet the end of the origin, Piquet left after seven He was unhappy with justness money that Ecclestone was accommodate to offer him and went to Williams where he would win his third championship. Loftiness following year, Murray, who owing to 1973 had designed cars mosey had scored 22 GP gains, left Brabham to join McLaren.

Brabham continued under Ecclestone's predominance to the end of magnanimity 1987 season, in which birth team scored only eight in rank. BMW withdrew from Formula Helpful after the 1987 season.

Having bought the team from Daffo Tauranac for approximately $120,000 combination the end of 1971, Ecclestone eventually sold it for put on one side US$5 million to a Land businessman, Joachim Luhti in 1988.^[4]

Formula One executive

See also: FISA–FOCA war

In parallel to his activities monkey team owner, Ecclestone formed integrity Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) in 1974 with Frank Settler, Colin Chapman, Teddy Mayer, Be rude to Tyrrell, and Max Mosley.

Crystal-clear became increasingly involved with fulfil roles at FISA and nobility FOCA in the 1970s, start particular with negotiating the sport's television rights, in his decades-long advocacy for team control.^[9]

Ecclestone became chief executive of FOCA clasp 1978 with Mosley as fillet legal adviser; together, they negotiated a series of legal issues with the FIA and Jean-Marie Balestre, culminating in Ecclestone's famed coup, his securing the put back into working order for FOCA to negotiate radio b newspaper people contracts for the Grands Prix.

For this purpose Ecclestone forward Formula One Promotions and Direction, giving 47% of television hand to mouth to teams, 30% to rank FIA, and 23% to FOPA (i.e. Ecclestone himself); in go back, FOPA put up the liking money – grand prix could literally be translated from Sculpturer as "great prize".

Television forthright shuffled between Ecclestone's companies, teams, and the FIA in nobleness late 1990s, but Ecclestone emerged on top again in 1997 when he negotiated the habitation Concorde Agreement: in exchange comply with annual payments, he maintained blue blood the gentry television rights.^[17] Ecclestone and her highness companies also controlled the regulation, setup and logistics of dressing-down Grand Prix.^[18]

Also in 1978, Ecclestone hired Sid Watkins as bona fide Formula One medical doctor.

Adjacent the crash at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, Watkins necessary that Ecclestone provide better keeping measures, which were provided chimp the next race. This conclude, Formula One began to consolidate safety, decreasing the number complete deaths and serious injuries forward the decades.^[19]

At the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, following Ayrton Senna's fatal accident but extent Senna was still alive, Ecclestone inadvertently misinformed Senna's family turn this way Senna had died.

Ecclestone abstruse used a walkie-talkie to appeal Sid Watkins - who was at the crash scene - about Senna's condition. Over ethics static of the walkie-talkie, Ecclestone misheard Watkins' response of "His head" as "He's dead". Family circle on this, Ecclestone told Senna's brother Leonardo, who was being the race, that Senna abstruse died.

Senna in fact remained biologically alive for several addition hours. This misunderstanding caused unadorned rift in the hitherto cordial relations between Ecclestone and distinction Senna family; although Ecclestone cosmopolitan to Sâo Paulo at say publicly time of Senna's funeral, recognized did not attend the burial itself, instead watching it ecstasy television at his hotel.^[20]

Despite line of reasoning surgery and triple coronary travel in 1999, Ecclestone remained hoot energetic as always in urging his own business interests.^[21] Rephrase the late 1990s he compromise his share in SLEC Funds (owner of the various F1 managing firms) to 25%, despite the fact that despite his minority share grace retained complete control of character companies.^[22]

Ecclestone came under fire accumulate October 2004 when he near British Racing Drivers' Club maestro Jackie Stewart were unable put in plain words come to terms regarding honourableness future British Grand Prix, at the back of the race to be derelict from the 2005 provisional edible calendar.^[23] Negotiations with Ecclestone give a lift keep the race in Conventionalize One ended in the symptom of a contract on 9 December to guarantee the chain of the British Grand Prix for the following five years.^[24] In mid-November 2004, the a handful of banks comprising Speed Investments, which owns a 75% share disintegration SLEC, which in turn console Formula One – Bayerische Landesbank, J.P.

Morgan Chase, and Lehman Brothers – sued Ecclestone cooperation more control over the guide, prompting speculation that Ecclestone health altogether lose the control recognized had maintained for more prevail over 30 years.^[21][25]

A two-day hearing began on 23 November. After goodness proceedings ended the following existing, Justice Andrew Park announced circlet intention to reserve ruling represent several weeks.

On 6 Dec 2004, Park read his result, stating that "In [his] haphazard it is clear that Speed's contentions are correct and [he] should therefore make the declarations which it requests."^[26] However, Ecclestone insisted that the verdict – seen almost universally as on the rocks legal blow to his win of Formula One – would mean "nothing at all".^[27] Fair enough stated his intention to advantage against the decision.

The followers day, at a meeting endlessly team bosses at Heathrow Aerodrome in London, Ecclestone offered grandeur teams a total of £260,000,000 over three years in come back for unanimous renewal of magnanimity Concorde Agreement, which expired market 2008.^[28] Two weeks later, Gerhard Gribkowsky, a board member earthly Bayerische Landesbank and the controller of SLEC, said that honourableness banks had no intention unite remove Ecclestone from his disposition of control.^[29]

Ecclestone saw 14 personage 20 cars pull out watch the 2005 United States De luxe Prix at the Indianapolis Motorcar Speedway.

The seven teams which refused to participate, stating affair over the safety of their Michelin tyres, requested rule undulate and/or a change to honourableness track configuration. Despite a group of meetings between Ecclestone, Disrespect Mosley and the team principals, no compromise was reached soak race time, and Ecclestone became an object of the public's frustration at the resultant six-car race.

Despite him not getting caused the problem, fans standing journalists blamed him for weak spot to take control and execute a solution, given the contigency of power in which misstep had placed himself.

On 25 November 2005 CVC Capital Partners announced it was to buy both the Ecclestone shares do admin the Formula One Group (25% of SLEC) and Bayerische Landesbank's 48% share (held through Hurry Investments).^[30][31] This left Alpha Prema owning 71.65% of the Formulary One Group.^[32] Ecclestone used position proceeds of this sale relax purchase a stake in that new company (the exact proportion of the CVC/Ecclestone shareholding obey unknown).

On 6 December Total Prema acquired JP Morgan's portion of SLEC to increase untruthfulness ownership of Formula One give rise to 86%; the remaining 14% was held by Lehman Brothers.^[33]

On 21 March 2006 the EU contention authorities approved the transaction gist to CVC selling Dorna, which controls the rights to MotoGP.^[34] CVC announced the completion contribution the transaction on 28 March.^[35] CVC acquired Lehman Brothers' tone at the end of Strut 2006.^[36]Allsport Management SA, owned next to Paddy McNally was also obtained by CVC on 30 March.^[37][38] On 21 July 2007, Ecclestone announced in the media wander he would be open commerce discussing the purchase of Pamphlet Football Club.

As a brisk friend to former director relief Arsenal David Dein, it was believed that the current scantling of the north London–based competition club would prefer to trade be in the busines to a British party, that after American-based investment company KSE headed by Stan Kroenke was thought to be preparing a- £650 million takeover bid take possession of Arsenal Holdings plc.^[39]

The revenue dispersal with the various teams, greatness Concorde Agreement, expired on rectitude last day of 2007, crucial the contract with the FIA expired on the last expound of 2012.

After the disappearance of Silverstone as the situation for the British Grand Prix in 2008, Ecclestone came out of the sun fire from several high-profile take advantage of for his handling of Pigeonhole One's revenues. Damon Hill blasted Formula One Management as spiffy tidy up key factor in the privation of the event: "There's at all times been the question of blue blood the gentry FOM fee, and ultimately defer is the deciding factor.

Telling off quote Bernie, he once said: 'You can have anything pointed like, as long as support pay too much for it,' but we can't pay likewise much for something ... The difficulty is money goes out most important away. There's a question inevitably that money even returns penalty Formula One."^[40]Flavio Briatore also criticised FOM: "Nowadays Ecclestone takes 50% of all revenues, but surprise are supposed to be passй to reduce our costs emergency 50%".^[41]

Ecclestone was removed from diadem position as chief executive pay Formula One Group on 23 January 2017, following its putsch by Liberty Media in 2016.^[42] He was appointed the token role of chairman emeritus current adviser to the board bad buy directors, until his term dated in January 2020.^[43]

Other activities

In 1996, Ecclestone's International Sportsworld Communicators mark a 14-year agreement with high-mindedness FIA for the exclusive discovery rights for 18 FIA championships.

In 1999, the European Lie-down investigated FIA, ISC and FOA for abusing dominant position innermost restricting competition.^[44] As a fruit, in early 2000 the ISC and FIA made a new-found agreement to reduce the expect of rights packages to several, the World Rally and Community Rally Championships. In April 2000 Ecclestone sold ISC to on the rocks group led by David Richards.^[45][46]

On 17 June 2005, Ecclestone ended American headlines with his solve to a question about Danica Patrick's fourth-place finish at goodness Indianapolis 500, during an catechize with Indianapolis television station WRTV: "She did a good curious, didn't she?

Super. Didn't muse she'd be able to be it like that. You notice, I've got one of these wonderful ideas that women be compelled be all dressed in pallid like all the other home appliances." Following Patrick's 2008 depress at Twin Ring Motegi, Ecclestone personally sent her a complimentary letter.^[47]

On 7 January 2010, depart was announced that Ecclestone abstruse, together with Genii Capital, submitted a bid for Swedish motor brand Saab Automobile.^[48]

Queens Park Rangers

On 3 September 2007, it was announced that Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore had bought Queens Protected area Rangers (QPR) Football Club.^[49] Make the addition of December 2007, they were connected as co-owners by businessman Lakshmi Mittal, the fifth richest man in the world, who bribable 20% of the club.^[50]

On 17 December 2010 it was proclaimed that Ecclestone had purchased illustriousness majority of shares from Flavio Briatore becoming the majority contributor with 62% of the shares.^[51] It was announced on 18 August 2011 that Ecclestone title Briatore had sold their full shareholding in the club come into contact with Tony Fernandes, known for coronate ownership of the Caterham Stand 1 team.^[52]

Controversies

Great Train Robbery

For go to regularly years Ecclestone was rumoured commence have been involved in justness Great Train Robbery (1963).

Slight a 2014 interview Ecclestone purported that this rumour arose take the stones out of his acquaintance with robber Roy James, the getaway driver who was an amateur racing handler. James later produced the silvery trophy given to Formula Of a nature promoters.^[53]

Labour Party controversy

In 1997, Ecclestone was involved in a factious controversy over the British Toil Party's policy on tobacco advocacy.

Labour had pledged to break off tobacco advertising in its pronouncemen ahead of its 1997 accepted election victory, supporting a outlook European Union Directive banning baccy advertising and sponsorship.^[54] At that time all leading Formula Adjourn Teams carried significant branding devour tobacco brands. The Labour Party's stance on banning tobacco advertisement was reinforced following the regular election by forceful statements flight the Health Secretary Frank Dobsonfly and Minister for Public Condition Tessa Jowell.^[55] Ecclestone appealed 'over Jowell's head' to Jonathan Physicist, Tony Blair's chief of pole, who arranged a meeting link up with Blair.

Ecclestone and Max Mosley, both Labour Party donors, reduction Blair on 16 October 1997, where Mosley argued:

"Motor animate was a world class exertion which put Britain at influence hi-tech edge. Deprived of baccy money, Formula One would shift abroad at the loss pressure 50,000 jobs, 150,000 part-time jobs and £900 million of exports."^[55]

On 4 November the "fiercely anti-tobacco Jowell" argued in Brussels use an exemption for Formula Hold up.

Media attention initially focused union Labour bending its principles buy a "glamour sport" and reveal the "false trail" of Jowell's husband's links to Benetton.^[55] Graft 6 November correspondents from link newspapers inquired whether Labour difficult to understand received any donations from Ecclestone; he had donated £1 bundle in January 1997.

On 11 November Labour promised to answer the money on the view of Sir Patrick Neill.^[56] Enlarge 17 November, Blair apologised affection his government's mishandling of greatness affair and stated "the determination to exempt Formula One munch through tobacco sponsorship was taken four weeks later. It was overload response to fears that Kingdom might lose the industry external to Asian countries who were bidding for it."^[57] In 2008, the year after Blair stepped down as Prime Minister, internecine Downing Street memos revealed ramble the decision had been idea at the time of influence meeting, and not two weeks later as Blair stated sham Parliament.^[58]

Tax avoidance (2008)

Interviews conducted uncongenial a German prosecutor in dignity Gerhard Gribkowsky case showed stray Ecclestone had been under dig up by the UK tax directorate for nine years, and cruise he had avoided the charity performance of £1.2 billion through natty legal tax avoidance scheme.

Tired out Revenue and Customs agreed justify conclude the matter in 2008 with a payment of £10 million.^[59]

In a Times interview promulgated on 4 July 2009, Ecclestone said "terrible to say that I suppose, but apart non-native the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded elect do things that I own acquire no idea whether he welcome to do or not, do something was – in the no different that he could command topping lot of people – let off to get things done."^[60] According to Ecclestone: "If you maintain a look at a self-rule it hasn't done a map of good for many countries — including this one", birdcage reference to the United Kingdom.^[60] He also said that tiara friend of 40 years Main part Mosley, the son of Island fascist leader Oswald Mosley, "would do a super job" primate Prime Minister and added "I don't think his background would be a problem."^[60]

Stephen Pollard, rewrite man of The Jewish Chronicle, said: "Mr Ecclestone is either threaten idiot or morally repulsive.

Either he has no idea nonetheless stupid and offensive his views are or he does stomach deserves to be held purchase contempt by all decent people."^[61] In a subsequent interview polished The Jewish Chronicle, Ecclestone uttered that his comments were engaged the wrong way, but apologised, saying, "I'm just sorry dump I was an idiot.

Beside oneself sincerely, genuinely apologise."^[62] However, as Ecclestone was later told tough Associated Press that the Field Jewish Congress had called meditate his resignation, he said: "It's a pity they didn't comradeship the banks out," referring converge the 2007–2008 financial crisis, endure stated: "They have a plenty of influence everywhere."^[63]

Bribery accusation

In clean 2012 trial against the prior BayernLB chief risk officer Gerhard Gribkowsky, the public prosecutor prisoner Ecclestone of being a co-perpetrator in the case.

Gribkowsky common to the charges of duty evasion, breach of trust extract for accepting bribes. In end arguments at a Munich anger the public prosecutor told class court Ecclestone "hasn't been blackmailed, he is a co-perpetrator production a bribery case". According nod the prosecutor and defendant, Ecclestone paid about $44 million make out the former banker to shop for rid of the lender's chance in Formula One.

Ecclestone pick up prosecutors he paid Gribkowsky now he blackmailed him with effectual UK tax authorities about tidy family trust controlled by Ecclestone's former wife.^[64] In November 2012 private equity firm Bluewaters Connection Holdings filed a £409m data against the 2005 sale nigh on Formula One, alleging it was the sport's rightful owner.^[65]

In Can 2013, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported guarantee the Munich prosecutors' office abstruse charged Ecclestone on two counts of bribery after a biennial investigation into his relationship meet Gribkowsky.^[66] In July 2013, Germanic prosecutors indicted Ecclestone for professed bribery.

The charge relates all over a $44 million (£29m) grow to Gribkowsky. It was akin to the sale of cool stake in Formula 1.^[67] Gribkowsky, the BayernLB bank executive, was found guilty of taking $44m in bribes and failing hit pay tax on the money.^[68]

On 14 January 2014, a monotonous in Munich ruled that Ecclestone would indeed be tried arrange bribery charges in Germany,^[69] put up with on 5 August 2014, dignity same court ruled that Ecclestone could pay a £60m consonance, without admitting guilt, to come to a decision the trial.^[70]

Comments on diversity most recent racism

In the weeks following glory events of the murder spick and span George Floyd, seven-time world sponsor Lewis Hamilton, F1's only jet driver, had launched his allencompassing commission to tackle racism leading increase diversity, with Formula Hold up launching a We Race Orangutan One initiative to fight unbounded inequality.

In an interview gangster CNN, Ecclestone initially praised Hamilton's efforts but then questioned bon gr it would "do anything rumbling or good for Formula One", before saying that "In simple lot of cases, black bring into being are more racist than what white people are."^[71] In reaction, Hamilton has countered Ecclestone, criticising him on Instagram for growth "ignorant and uneducated", and lose concentration he has realised why gimcrack much has been done disrespect address diversity and racism.^[72][73] Stereotype One Group also issued grand statement, saying that they "completely disagree with Bernie Ecclestone's comments that have no place rotation Formula 1 or society", focus on had added that his christen as a chairman emeritus locked away since expired in January 2020.^[43]

Illegal possession of a firearm

Ecclestone was arrested by Brazilian authorities formula 25 May 2022 for lawlessly carrying a firearm while going a private plane to Suisse.

An undocumented LW Seecamp .32 gun was found in king luggage during an x-ray reticule. Ecclestone acknowledged owning the battery, but said he was unsuspecting it was in his accoutrements at the time. He in the end paid bail and was unburden to travel to Switzerland.^[74]

On 30 June 2022 Ecclestone appeared heftiness an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain.

Co-host Kate Garraway asked if Ecclestone was "still a friend" of Vladimir Connect, to which he replied put off he would "take a bullet" for him because he was a "first class person."^[75] Ecclestone argued that the Russian encroachment of Ukraine was just practised "mistake" that all business joe six-pack make. Ecclestone then went link to mention that he putative President Zelenskyy could have prevented the invasion of Ukraine.^[76] GMB's other co-host Ben Shephard freely about the death of not guilty Ukrainian citizens, to which Ecclestone said it was not "intentional" and gave examples of Inhabitant invasions into other countries.

In the same interview, Ecclestone argued against the ban on Slavonic drivers taking part in Formulary One. He suggested that prohibited would not have removed class Russian Grand Prix or illegitimate Russian drivers had he archaic a part of the liable process.^{[77][better source needed]} In response, Formula See to released a statement that said: "The comments made by Bernie Ecclestone are his personal views and are in very compelling contrast to position of dignity modern values of the sport."^[78]

Tax fraud

On 11 July 2022 Ecclestone was officially charged with contribution fraud ("fraud by false representation") by the Crown Prosecution Boasting after an examination of on the rocks file sent to the CPS by HM Revenue and Custom which reported he had unsuccessful to declare foreign assets suggest £400 million.^[79]

The first hearing impact the case was scheduled on line for 22 August at Westminster Magistrates' Court.^[80] In January 2023 honesty trial date was pushed diminish to November 2023 at insinuation administrative hearing at Southwark Festoon Court.^[81]

On 12 October 2023 equal finish Southwark Crown Court Ecclestone pleaded guilty to fraud, after common to pay nearly £653m hard cash back tax and fines.

Powder was sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended for couple years.^[82]

Tom Bower biography

In 2011, Faber and Faber published Tom Bower's biography No Angel: The Blush Life of Bernie Ecclestone, which was written with Ecclestone's co-operation. Bower's previous exposé biographies observe figures such as Robert Physicist led commentators such as Pol Appleyard, writing for the New Statesman, to express surprise assigning Ecclestone's co-operation.^[83]

The book recounts uncorrupted episode at the 1979 Argentinian Grand Prix in which Colin Chapman offered Mario Andretti $1000 to push Ecclestone into fastidious hotel swimming pool in Buenos Aires.

A nervous Andretti approached Ecclestone and confessed the estate, to which Ecclestone replied: "Pay me half and you can".^[84]

Personal life

As of February 2024, Forbes World's Billionaires List estimated Ecclestone's net worth at $2.9 billion.^[85] In 2002, he was catalogued as the fifth-richest person expect the United Kingdom on dignity Sunday Times Rich List.^[86] End in early 2004, he sold attack of his London residences lecture in Kensington Palace Gardens, never obtaining lived in it, to Amerindic steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal on £57.1 million.^[87] At Grand Prix venues, Ecclestone used a leaden mobile home, known as "Bernie's bus", as his headquarters.^[88] Fragment 2005, Ecclestone sold his £9 million yacht Va Bene take in hand his friend Eric Clapton.

Toweling Lovell published a biography authentication Ecclestone, Bernie's Game: Inside magnanimity Formula One World of Bernie Ecclestone in March 2003 name legal issues had delayed professor publication from its original fashionable of November 2001.^[89] Ecclestone disgraceful down a CBE in 1996,^[90] and later turned down keen knighthood in the early 2000s as he did not allow that he deserved it.

Delight in a 2019 interview, he presumed that if he had make helpless some good to the society, he was glad, but crystal-clear did not set out introduce this purpose in mind, inexpressive did not deserve recognition.^[20]

Ecclestone has been married three times. Release first wife Ivy, he has a daughter, Deborah, through whom he is a great-grandfather.

Pacify has five grandchildren — span granddaughters and three grandsons.^[91] Ecclestone had a 17-year relationship adjust Tuana Tan, which ended take back 1984 when Slavica Radić, subsequent his second wife, became pregnant.^[92] Ecclestone was then married far Yugoslav-born former Armani model Radić for 23 years.^[93] The brace have two daughters, Tamara (born 1984) and Petra (born 1988).^[94][95] In 2008, Slavica Ecclestone filed for divorce.^[96] Slavica settled their divorce amicably with her reaction a reported $1 billion seat $1.5 billion settlement.^[97] The split up was granted on 11 Strut 2009.^[98] In August 2012 Ecclestone married Fabiana Flosi, the steersman of marketing for the Brazilian Grand Prix.^[99] Flosi is 46 years younger than Ecclestone.^[100] Ecclestone's son with Flosi was inhabitant in July 2020.^[101][102] He remains one of the oldest confessed fathers.

Complete Formula One Nature Championship results

(key)

Awards and honours

Orders and special awards

Honorary degrees

Other

Notes

See also

References

Citations