Copyright GIVEMESPORT
Bernie Ecclestone is one of the most influential figures in motor racing history. After a brief career as a driver, he transitioned to team ownership and later became the most powerful man in F1 after founding the Formula One Group in 1987. Under his stewardship, Ecclestone took Formula 1 from niche motorsport into a multi-billion dollar industry. The Suffolk-born entrepreneur oversaw the sport, before selling to Liberty Media in 2017 and ultimately walking away entirely in 2020. His career remained noteworthy even after retirement, admitting in a 2023 court case that he had mislead authorities about overseas assets. Ecclestone was forced to pay £750 million in back taxes and only narrowly avoided a spell in prison. However, for as colourful as his business dealings were, Ecclestone now lives a very different life. He's still eye-wateringly rich despite dealing with that hefty tax bill two years ago. Ecclestone cashed-in handsomely from the sale of F1's commercial rights to Liberty Media in an $8 billion deal and is still believed to be worth a staggering £3bn. That figure is inflated by the £500m he banked after selling his private collection of 69 Grand Prix cars to Red Bull heir Mark Mateschitz earlier this year. The Daily Mail recently sat down with Ecclestone, who is now 95-year-old. Following his retreat from the spotlight, he now lives with his wife in a chalet overlooking the mountains of Switzerland. He spends his mornings reading, goes walking in the afternoon, and enjoys time with his family in the evenings. It all sounds quite normal - until you consider that the former F1 boss has a five-year-old son to look after! Bernie Ecclestone's Remarkable Family Tree Ecclestone boasts a staggering family tree, with his four children ranging in age considerably. His eldest daughter, Deborah, recently celebrated her 70th birthday, while five-year-old son, Ace, has only just started school. Deborah was born in 1955 to Bernie's first wife, Ivy Bamford. His second wife, Slavica Radic, then gave birth to daughter Tamara some 29 years later in 1984. Four years later, Bernie and Slavica welcomed Petra into the world, before Ace was born in 2020, to Ecclestone's third wife, Fabiana Flosi. Asked about the challenges of becoming a father again in his nineties, Ecclestone admitted: "It's quite something! "You look at your oldest and youngest and realise how much has happened in between!" Ace attends a prestigious pre-school near his family home and is learning to speak three languages. Sadly, during the interview, Ecclestone also reflected on the dwindling circle of friends he had left from his F1 days. Of his four closest friends in the sport, only one is still alive - former Renault and Benetton boss Flavio Briatore. The others, three-time world champion Niki Lauda, Austrian world champion Jochen Rindt and former FIA president Max Mosley have all passed away. He reflected: "Many people came and went. But real friends, those who stay with you through everything, there were very few. There were four - now just one [Briatore]."
