Bernie Ecclestone
- Actor
- Additional Crew
He grew up in Bexleyheath, where he left school at the age of 16. He started his professional life as a low-level worker at the local municipal utility. His hobby was motorcycles. He learned to repair them self-taught. Later he bought defective machines, which he repaired and sold again. With these skills and initial savings, Ecclestone became a partner with Fred Compton, who ran a motorcycle business. After Fred Compton left in the early 1950s, Ecclestone turned the business into one of the largest service and parts suppliers for foreign brands in England in just a few years. During this time, Ecclestone also started as a driver in the young Formula 1 series with Brands-Hatch. However, success did not materialize and he had to withdraw from active racing after a serious accident. In 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio became Formula 1 world champion with Maserati for the fifth time and fourth time in a row, making the sporting event very popular. Ecclestone also continued to develop his passion for motorsport: In the same year he took on his first manager position for Stuart Lewis-Evans.
After Stuart Lewis-Evans had an accident at the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix, he died a few days later as a result of severe burns. From 1965, Ecclestone became manager of the Austrian racing driver Jochen Rindt, who moved to Formula 1 for Cooper. Through Ecclestone's management, Rindt came to Brabham in 1968 and to the top team Lotus in 1969, with whom he had a fatal accident at the 1970 Monza Grand Prix. Jack Brabham, however, retired from active racing in 1967 as a three-time world champion, but initially remained boss of the team of the same name. When Brabham resigned from this position in 1972, Ecclestone bought the team. The year before, 1971, he became the founder of the Formula One Constructors Association "FOCA" (association of all Formula 1 teams). This constructors' association had the goal of asserting its interests against the Formula 1 superordinate "FIA" in order to achieve a stronger negotiating position. Ecclestone himself chaired the association. However, there were no successes as a team manager. He had a daughter with his first wife Ivy.
In 1977 he acquired the advertising rights on the Grand Prix circuits and in 1978 the television rights on the Grand Prix circuits. Despite numerous interesting marketing ideas, the public had too little interest in international motorsport, which meant that no contracts were concluded. In addition, the entire series suffered from a sharp decline in visitor numbers. Ecclestone responded to the crisis with the concept of breathing a form of exclusivity into the sport. He achieved this by not only inviting prominent people to races. Rather, he founded the "Paddock Club" in 1978, which allowed wealthy guests to show off in an elite circle in the middle of the race track. The concept worked and Ecclestone made a fortune by acting as an intermediary between Formula 1 and marketing. The income was now distributed to the teams using a sophisticated key. With his new management concept, Ecclestone achieved his breakthrough as the manager of Formula 1 in the early 1980s. In addition, his Brabham team, which was equipped with BMW engines, won the 1983 World Championship with Nelson Piquet as the driver.
In 1985, Ecclestone married Croatian model Slavica, (née Radi?) in London. This relationship resulted in their daughters Tamara (1984) and Petra (1988). When his Brabham racing team failed to achieve further success in the following years, he sold the team to FIAT in 1988. In 1991, his childhood friend and best man, Max Mosley, became President of the FIA. With the marketing company SLEC Holding Ltd. In 1997, Ecclestone became the sole marketer of all Formula 1 rights. In 2000 he sold 75% of the rights to the company EM-TV, Munich. Meanwhile, he campaigned energetically to ensure that Formula 1 continues to be shown on free TV. In 2001, he acquired the "Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track" near the wine-growing town of Bandol in the Var department in the south of France, just a few kilometers from the French company Excelis S.A., which is part of Ecclestone's APM 1 family trust French Riviera. The complex is also known as Le Castellet because it is located in the municipality of the same name. The Toyota Formula 1 team used the circuit as a home test track from 2002. The area has its own airport and the five-star hotel and spa "Hôtel du Castellet".
In September 2007 he took over the English second division club "Queens Park Rangers" with Flavio Briatore for 1.5 million euros. Liabilities amounting to 19.5 million euros were paid off. His marriage to Slavica ended in divorce on March 11, 2009. In August 2012, Ecclestone announced that he had married Fabiana Flosi. The entrepreneur became one of the richest people in the country. In 2014, his fortune was estimated at £2.2 billion on the Sundy Times' Richest Brits List (13th place). In August 2014, Ecclestone had to appear in court in Germany. In June 2013, the public prosecutor's office at the Munich Regional Court accused him of bribing Gerhard Gribkowsky, former board member of BayernLB, with $44 million in order to achieve a favorable sale of BayernLB's shares in Formula 1. The proceedings were discontinued on August 5, 2014 against payment of a fine of 100 million US dollars (approx. 75 million euros).
After Stuart Lewis-Evans had an accident at the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix, he died a few days later as a result of severe burns. From 1965, Ecclestone became manager of the Austrian racing driver Jochen Rindt, who moved to Formula 1 for Cooper. Through Ecclestone's management, Rindt came to Brabham in 1968 and to the top team Lotus in 1969, with whom he had a fatal accident at the 1970 Monza Grand Prix. Jack Brabham, however, retired from active racing in 1967 as a three-time world champion, but initially remained boss of the team of the same name. When Brabham resigned from this position in 1972, Ecclestone bought the team. The year before, 1971, he became the founder of the Formula One Constructors Association "FOCA" (association of all Formula 1 teams). This constructors' association had the goal of asserting its interests against the Formula 1 superordinate "FIA" in order to achieve a stronger negotiating position. Ecclestone himself chaired the association. However, there were no successes as a team manager. He had a daughter with his first wife Ivy.
In 1977 he acquired the advertising rights on the Grand Prix circuits and in 1978 the television rights on the Grand Prix circuits. Despite numerous interesting marketing ideas, the public had too little interest in international motorsport, which meant that no contracts were concluded. In addition, the entire series suffered from a sharp decline in visitor numbers. Ecclestone responded to the crisis with the concept of breathing a form of exclusivity into the sport. He achieved this by not only inviting prominent people to races. Rather, he founded the "Paddock Club" in 1978, which allowed wealthy guests to show off in an elite circle in the middle of the race track. The concept worked and Ecclestone made a fortune by acting as an intermediary between Formula 1 and marketing. The income was now distributed to the teams using a sophisticated key. With his new management concept, Ecclestone achieved his breakthrough as the manager of Formula 1 in the early 1980s. In addition, his Brabham team, which was equipped with BMW engines, won the 1983 World Championship with Nelson Piquet as the driver.
In 1985, Ecclestone married Croatian model Slavica, (née Radi?) in London. This relationship resulted in their daughters Tamara (1984) and Petra (1988). When his Brabham racing team failed to achieve further success in the following years, he sold the team to FIAT in 1988. In 1991, his childhood friend and best man, Max Mosley, became President of the FIA. With the marketing company SLEC Holding Ltd. In 1997, Ecclestone became the sole marketer of all Formula 1 rights. In 2000 he sold 75% of the rights to the company EM-TV, Munich. Meanwhile, he campaigned energetically to ensure that Formula 1 continues to be shown on free TV. In 2001, he acquired the "Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track" near the wine-growing town of Bandol in the Var department in the south of France, just a few kilometers from the French company Excelis S.A., which is part of Ecclestone's APM 1 family trust French Riviera. The complex is also known as Le Castellet because it is located in the municipality of the same name. The Toyota Formula 1 team used the circuit as a home test track from 2002. The area has its own airport and the five-star hotel and spa "Hôtel du Castellet".
In September 2007 he took over the English second division club "Queens Park Rangers" with Flavio Briatore for 1.5 million euros. Liabilities amounting to 19.5 million euros were paid off. His marriage to Slavica ended in divorce on March 11, 2009. In August 2012, Ecclestone announced that he had married Fabiana Flosi. The entrepreneur became one of the richest people in the country. In 2014, his fortune was estimated at £2.2 billion on the Sundy Times' Richest Brits List (13th place). In August 2014, Ecclestone had to appear in court in Germany. In June 2013, the public prosecutor's office at the Munich Regional Court accused him of bribing Gerhard Gribkowsky, former board member of BayernLB, with $44 million in order to achieve a favorable sale of BayernLB's shares in Formula 1. The proceedings were discontinued on August 5, 2014 against payment of a fine of 100 million US dollars (approx. 75 million euros).