British businessman and Formula One former boss Bernie Ecclestone has accumulated an impressive fortune over the years. His current net worth explored.
Over the years, Bernie Ecclestone has cemented his name in the world of motor racing.
From dropping out of school at a young age, Ecclestone ventured into business opportunities before he even became the former boss of Formula One sport.
Best known as the Chairman Emeritus of Formula One Group, a title he held from 2017 to 2020, he is one of the wealthiest men in the United Kingdom.
Here’s what we know about his fortune, and how he made his money.
Profile Summary
| Celebrated Name: | Bernie Ecclestone |
| Net Worth: | $2.9 billion per Forbes |
| Profession: | British business magnate |
| Known As: | Formula One former CEO Chairman Emeritus of Formula One Group |
| Full Real Name: | Bernard Charles Ecclestone |
| Date of Birth: | October 28, 1930 (age 92 years) |
| Birthplace: | Saint Peter, South Elmham, United Kingdom |
| Parents: | Sidney Ecclestone, Bertha Ecclestone |
| Height: | 1.59 m |
| Nationality: | British |
How rich is Bernie Ecclestone worth?
Bernie Ecclestone, who doesn’t come from a rich family, is now regarded as one of the richest businessmen in the UK. He became wealthy by transforming Formula One from a sport for car enthusiasts into a global brand producing profits of more than £1 billion a year.
He left school at 15 to trade motorbike parts while employed by the Gas Board and honed his skills by haggling over the prices of used cars with criminals.
He amassed a portfolio of luxury items including a large yacht, racehorses, fabulous houses across London and Switzerland, and a private jet.
Ecclestone has been known to always pay in cash and was often seen peeling off 500-euro notes from a wad. It was reported in 2014 that he had been known to carry $1 million (£600,000) in cash in a plastic bag – and then leave the bag in a room by mistake.
What is Bernie Ecclestone’s net worth? The British businessman is a billionaire. Per Forbes, Bernie Ecclestone has an estimated current net worth of $2.9 billion. The Sunday Times Rich List also ranks Bernie Ecclestone as the 65th wealthiest person in the country, with an estimated net worth of £2.5 billion. Celebrity Net Worth pegs his fortune at $3 billion as of today.
Ecclestone started as a manager for driver Stuart Lewis Evans before working his way up to becoming the head of the Formula One Constructors Association (FOCA) and then Formula One Management (FOM) – earning him 50 percent of the revenue earned by F1.
He eventually sold F1 to Liberty Media for £6.4 billion in 2016.
The billionaire father-of-four left school at 16 and was running motorcycle shops and a car dealership by 21.
He also had a coffee plantation in Brazil, where their brand Celebrity Coffee is produced. He ran this business with his third wife, Flosi.
Who is Bernie Ecclestone?
The patriarch of the Ecclestone family, Bernie was born on October 28, 1930, in Saint Peter, South Elmham, United Kingdom.
The 92-year-old business tycoon was born to parents Sidney Ecclestone and Bertha Ecclestone.
Ecclestone had been associated with F1 since the 1950s – during the 1958 season, he entered two Grand Prix races but failed to qualify for either.
In 1972 he became a team-owner, acquiring Brabham, which he ran for 15 years.
Two years later, Ecclestone formed the Formula One Constructors Association, emerging as chief executive in 1978.
In 2017, Bernie was removed from his position after the Formula One Group was taken over by Liberty Media.
Not bad for the son of a fisherman, who left Dartford West Central Secondary School at 16 and first worked as an assistant in a chemical laboratory testing gas purity.
On 25 May 2022, Ecclestone was arrested in Brazil while carrying a gun as he boarded a private jet to Switzerland. He acknowledged owning the gun but said he was unaware it was in his luggage at the time. He subsequently paid bail and was freed to travel to Switzerland.
Then in a TV interview, he astonishingly claimed he would “take a bullet” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, before issuing a groveling apology.
Bernie Ecclestone agrees to hand over more than a quarter of his wealth as he admits to £400m fraud and pays taxman £652m.
On 11 July 2022, two weeks after his Good Morning Britain interview, Ecclestone was officially charged with tax fraud (“fraud by false representation”) by the Crown Prosecution Service after an examination of a file sent to the CPS by HM Revenue and Customs which reported he had failed to declare foreign assets of ₤400 million.
The first hearing into the case was scheduled for 22 August at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. In January 2023 the trial date was pushed back to November 2023 at an administrative hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
On 12 October 2023 at Southwark Crown Court Ecclestone pleaded guilty to fraud, after agreeing to pay nearly £653m in back tax and fines. He was sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended for two years.
Per MailOnline, Bernie Ecclestone has agreed to pay more than a quarter of his wealth to the taxman as he avoided jail after admitting to hiding £416m from HMRC in the biggest personal fraud in British history.
The 92-year-old Formula One tycoon had previously tried to dodge facing trial by claiming the process would kill him, it can now be revealed.
He had also tried to have proceedings thrown out by claiming remarks he had made about ‘taking a bullet’ for Russian president Vladimir Putin were the real reason for the prosecution, rather than ‘legitimate public interest.’
Ecclestone has agreed to pay almost £653m to HMRC, more than a quarter of the estimated £2.5bn wealth he has amassed since seizing control of F1 in the 1970s.
Judge Mr Justice Simon Bryan told him his offending had crossed the custody threshold, but suspended a 17-month jail term for two years at Southwark Crown Court today.
Who is Bernie Ecclestone married to?
Ecclestone has been married three times in his entire life. The name of his current wife is Fabiana Flosi, and that of his ex-spouses are Slavica Radić and Ivy Bamford.
At age 22, Bernie married his first wife, Ivy Bamford. The English businessman and Bamford tied the knot in 1952 and welcomed a daughter, Deborah, through whom he is a great-grandfather. He has five grandchildren — two granddaughters and three grandsons. His marriage to Ivy didn’t last and the duo went their separate ways.
He then went into a serious relationship with a woman named Tuana Tan. They dated for 17 years but split in 1984.
He then met Yugoslav-born former Armani model Slavica Radić who later became pregnant even when he was still with Tuana. In 1985, Ecclestone married Slavica and went on to have two daughters, Tamara Ecclestone (born 1984) and Petra Ecclestone (born 1988).
In 2008 after 24 years of marriage, Slavica Ecclestone filed for divorce. Slavica settled their divorce amicably with her receiving a reported $1 to 1.5 billion settlement. The divorce was granted on 11 March 2009.
Three years after he divorced Slavica, he got married to his third wife, Fabiana Flosi. The former Formula One boss met his current wife Flosi through the sport.
At the time, Fabiana was working as the vice president of marketing for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Bernie Ecclestone and Fabiana Flosi got engaged in 2012 and tied the knot in August of the same year at Le Lion – his chalet in the exclusive resort of Gstaad, Switzerland.
The impressive traditional four-storey chalet is one of the most prestigious properties in the area, boasting an indoor swimming pool, a huge entertaining suite, and incredible views.
She is 46 years his junior. In April 2020, it was revealed the pair were expecting a son due weeks before Ecclestone’s 90th birthday. Ecclestone announced the birth of Alexander Charles Ecclestone (Ace) on 1 July 2020.