Ecclestone, Bernie (1930– )

English motor sport entrepreneur, who turned Formula 1 (F1) racing into a multi-million pound business. As president of the Formula 1 Constructor's Association (FOCA), Ecclestone effectively took over the management of the F1 industry. He created a structure marketing the exclusive rights for the advertising, hospitality, and, in particular, lucrative television coverage of F1 racing.

Ecclestone became a member of FOCA after acquiring the Jack Brabham F1 team in 1971. Appointed president of FOCA in the mid-1970s, he set about restructuring the F1 industry. In 1987 he was appointed vice-president of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the sport's governing body, selling the Brabham team shortly afterwards. He nominally relinquished this role for one in promotional affairs in January 2001, following a European Commission investigation into motor racing. In 2000 Ecclestone sold a 50% stake, valued at £625 million, in Slec, his F1 holding company.

Ecclestone was born in Suffolk, the son of a trawler skipper, and graduated from Woolwich Polytechnic in London with a degree in chemical engineering. Having raced motorbikes as a teenager, he focused first on the second-hand motorbike and car trade (eventually selling his business to British Car Auctions) and then moved into racing driver management and team ownership. Ecclestone also tried racing himself, but gave up after a bad crash at Brands Hatch.