Bernie Ecclestone is one of those people whose name can seem almost impossible to separate from the history of modern Formula 1. For decades, he was not simply involved in the sport; he helped turn it from a specialist European racing championship into a global commercial business. That history explains why searches for Bernie Ecclestone net worth, his children, his famous car collection and even his height continue to attract attention.
But there is another reason Ecclestone remains relevant: his legacy is still connected to major Formula 1 controversies, including the legal action brought by Felipe Massa over the 2008 championship. At the same time, his personal life has evolved dramatically, from three marriages and four children to becoming a father again at 89.
This guide brings the main facts together while separating confirmed information from estimates and internet speculation. It also explains what happened to Ecclestone’s extraordinary collection of racing cars and why his financial story is more complicated than simply attaching a billionaire figure to his name.
Who Is Bernie Ecclestone?
Bernard Charles Ecclestone was born on October 28, 1930, in Suffolk, England. As of September 2026, he is 95 years old.
Ecclestone’s route into Formula 1 was unusual. He did not begin as a conventional corporate executive. He developed an interest in motorcycles, became involved in buying and selling vehicles and eventually moved into motor racing.
His early experiences taught him something that became central to his later career: racing was not only about what happened on the track. It was also about negotiating, television, sponsorship, promoters, teams and commercial rights.
That business perspective became his greatest strength.
Ecclestone eventually owned the Brabham Formula 1 team and became one of the most influential figures in the sport’s commercial administration. His influence grew enormously during the period when Formula 1 television rights and promotional agreements were becoming increasingly valuable.
He remained the dominant commercial figure around F1 until 2017, when Liberty Media completed its acquisition of Formula 1.
Bernie Ecclestone Net Worth
The most useful current figure comes from Forbes, which puts Bernie Ecclestone and his family’s real-time net worth at about $2.6 billion as of September 7, 2026.
That number should be treated as an estimate rather than a bank statement.
Ecclestone’s wealth was built through decades of involvement in Formula 1, particularly through commercial rights, business interests, investments and assets accumulated during his career.
His financial story is also important because he did not simply make money from owning a traditional sports team. His real achievement was understanding the commercial value of the championship itself.
How did Ecclestone make his money?
His wealth developed through several stages:
- Vehicle and motorcycle businesses in his early career.
- Motor racing management, where he developed contacts throughout the sport.
- Ownership of Brabham, giving him direct experience running an F1 operation.
- Commercial negotiations involving Formula 1, which became the foundation of his enormous fortune.
- Long-term investments and assets accumulated during his decades at the center of international motorsport.
One often-missed point is that Ecclestone’s wealth cannot be understood simply by looking at his former position in Formula 1. He eventually sold much of his direct economic interest while continuing to build wealth through other assets and structures.
His financial history has also included significant legal and tax issues. Forbes notes that Ecclestone pleaded guilty to fraud connected with the concealment of around $530 million in a Singapore trust and agreed to an $802 million settlement.
That is one reason it is better to discuss his estimated current wealth rather than treating older internet figures as definitive.
How Old Is Bernie Ecclestone?
Bernie Ecclestone is 95 years old in 2026.
He was born on October 28, 1930. His age is particularly notable because he remained involved in motorsport discussions long after stepping away from the formal leadership of Formula 1.
His later life has also attracted attention because he became a father to his youngest child at the age of 89.
Rather than disappearing completely from public life after leaving F1, Ecclestone has continued to comment on the sport and occasionally become involved in news stories connected with his business and personal life.
Bernie Ecclestone Height
Bernie Ecclestone is generally listed at around 5 feet 2½ inches, or approximately 159 cm.
Some biographical sources round this to approximately 5 feet 3 inches or 160 cm, so minor differences online are normal.
His relatively short stature became part of his public image, especially because his influence inside Formula 1 was enormous. It is a good example of why physical appearance tells you very little about someone’s power or importance in business.
For decades, Ecclestone could negotiate with major manufacturers, wealthy team owners, broadcasters and international promoters despite being physically unassuming.
Bernie Ecclestone Children
Bernie Ecclestone has four children: Deborah, Tamara, Petra and Alexander Charles, better known as Ace.
His family spans several generations, making his personal history almost as interesting as his professional career.
Deborah Ecclestone
Deborah is Ecclestone’s eldest daughter, born during his first marriage to Ivy Bamford.
She has largely maintained a lower public profile than her younger sisters.
Through Deborah, Ecclestone also became a grandfather and later a great-grandfather.
Tamara Ecclestone
Tamara, born in 1984, is his daughter with former model Slavica Radić.
She became known publicly through television, fashion and her family’s wealth. Tamara has also spoken publicly about family life and motherhood.
Petra Ecclestone
Petra, born in 1988, is Ecclestone’s younger daughter with Slavica.
She has worked in fashion and business and has attracted considerable media attention because of her lifestyle and family background.
Alexander Charles “Ace” Ecclestone
Ace is Ecclestone’s youngest child and his only child with his third wife, Fabiana Flosi.
He was born in July 2020, when Bernie was 89. That made Ecclestone one of the oldest high-profile fathers in the world.
The age difference between Ecclestone and his youngest son is enormous, but the story also illustrates an important part of his later life: his priorities increasingly shifted from running Formula 1 to family, property and preserving what he had accumulated.
Bernie Ecclestone’s Wives and Family Life
Ecclestone has been married three times.
His first wife was Ivy Bamford, with whom he had Deborah.
His second marriage was to Croatian-born model Slavica Radić. They had Tamara and Petra. Their marriage lasted more than two decades before ending in divorce in 2009.
His third wife is Fabiana Flosi, whom he married in 2012. She is the mother of his youngest son, Ace.
The family structure helps explain why estimates of Ecclestone’s personal wealth can sometimes appear inconsistent. His assets have been connected with family trusts, settlements and wealth distributed among members of his family.
What Happened to Bernie Ecclestone’s Car Collection?
This is one of the most interesting parts of Ecclestone’s story.
For more than 50 years, he assembled an extraordinary collection of historic racing cars. In 2024, the collection was put up for sale and consisted of 69 significant Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars.
This was not simply a collection of expensive road cars.
It contained pieces of actual Formula 1 history.
Among the highlights were:
- Ferrari racing cars associated with Niki Lauda
- Ferrari cars connected with Michael Schumacher
- Cars associated with Mike Hawthorn
- Brabham racing cars
- Nelson Piquet’s Brabham
- Carlos Pace’s Brabham
- The famous Brabham BT46B “fan car”
- Stirling Moss’s historic Vanwall
- Alberto Ascari’s Ferrari 375 F1
The collection was particularly impressive because Ecclestone had been involved with Brabham himself. Some of the cars were therefore connected directly to his own history in Formula 1.
How much was the car collection worth?
Estimates varied considerably, but reports placed the collection’s potential value in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The final sale price was not publicly disclosed.
In March 2025, the entire 69-car collection was sold to Mark Mateschitz, the son and heir of Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz. The transaction was described by the dealer involved as the largest single deal ever completed in the collector-car world.
Why did Bernie sell his cars?
This is a particularly revealing part of the story.
Ecclestone explained that he wanted to decide what happened to the cars rather than leaving his wife to deal with the collection if he died.
That makes the sale less about suddenly needing money and more about estate planning and legacy management.
This is one of the less obvious lessons from the collection: at a certain level of wealth, preserving an asset and deciding who receives it can become more complicated than buying it in the first place.
The Bernie Ecclestone and Felipe Massa Lawsuit
The Felipe Massa lawsuit involving Bernie Ecclestone concerns one of the most controversial episodes in modern Formula 1.
The dispute goes back to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix and the so-called “Crashgate” controversy.
During the race, Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed his Renault, according to the subsequent investigation, helping his teammate Fernando Alonso gain an advantage.
Felipe Massa argues that the race result should have been handled differently at the time and that, had the incident been properly investigated and acted upon in 2008, the championship outcome could have changed.
Massa finished the 2008 championship one point behind Lewis Hamilton.
He therefore argues that he could have become the 2008 Formula 1 World Champion.
Why is Bernie Ecclestone involved?
Ecclestone became involved because of statements attributed to him concerning what senior figures in Formula 1 knew about the Singapore incident and when they knew it.
In March 2024, Massa began legal proceedings involving the FIA, Formula One Management and Ecclestone. His case includes allegations connected with the handling of the Singapore controversy.
It is important not to describe Massa’s allegations as established facts.
The legal question is still being contested.
What is the latest status?
This is where many online articles become misleading.
Several of Massa’s original claims were struck out in earlier proceedings. However, the claim concerning unlawful means conspiracy was allowed to continue.
Ecclestone and the other appellants challenged that decision.
The UK Supreme Court granted permission to appeal, and the full hearing is scheduled for February 2–3, 2027.
So, as of September 2026, there has not been a final judgment establishing that Ecclestone caused Massa to lose the 2008 championship.
That distinction matters.
Three Less-Obvious Insights About Bernie Ecclestone
1. His greatest business achievement was selling access, not cars
Ecclestone’s biggest contribution was recognizing that Formula 1 had value beyond ticket sales.
Television audiences, sponsorship, race promotion and commercial rights could be packaged into a much larger global business.
That business model helped change the economics of the sport.
2. His car collection was essentially a private archive of F1 history
Calling the 69 cars a “luxury collection” understates what made them special.
Many were important because of who drove them, what race they won and what technological milestone they represented.
That makes the collection closer to a privately controlled historical archive than a conventional garage full of expensive automobiles.
3. Selling the collection was partly about controlling the future
The decision to sell the cars at 94 showed an unusual form of practical wealth management.
Instead of leaving dozens of irreplaceable racing machines for his family to value, store and sell later, Ecclestone chose the buyer and the timing himself.
That is a useful lesson for anyone interested in collecting: the hardest part of owning valuable assets can eventually become succession planning rather than acquisition.
Common Misunderstandings About Bernie Ecclestone
One common mistake is to assume that Ecclestone still runs Formula 1.
He does not.
He left his formal leadership position in 2017 after Liberty Media acquired Formula 1.
Another mistake is to assume his entire fortune comes from owning F1.
His wealth was built through a much broader commercial history involving rights, companies, investments and assets.
A third mistake is to report the Massa case as though Massa has already been declared the rightful 2008 world champion.
That is not the current legal position. The dispute remains unresolved, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear the appeal in 2027.
FAQ
How much is Bernie Ecclestone worth in 2026?
Forbes currently estimates Bernie Ecclestone and his family’s wealth at approximately $2.6 billion. This is an estimated net-worth figure rather than a publicly verified cash balance, and it can change with asset valuations and financial arrangements.
How old is Bernie Ecclestone?
Bernie Ecclestone is 95 years old in 2026. He was born on October 28, 1930, in Suffolk, England.
How many children does Bernie Ecclestone have?
He has four children: Deborah, Tamara, Petra and Alexander Charles “Ace” Ecclestone. His youngest child was born in 2020 when Ecclestone was 89.
What happened to Bernie Ecclestone’s F1 car collection?
Ecclestone sold his historic collection of 69 Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars in 2025 to Mark Mateschitz. The exact purchase price was not publicly disclosed, although estimates had placed the collection’s value in the hundreds of millions.
How tall is Bernie Ecclestone?
Ecclestone is generally listed at approximately 159 cm, or 5 feet 2½ inches. Some sources round the measurement to about 160 cm.
Is Bernie Ecclestone still involved in the Felipe Massa lawsuit?
Yes. Ecclestone is an appellant in the continuing legal dispute. The UK Supreme Court has granted permission for the appeal, with the full hearing scheduled for February 2027.
Conclusion
Bernie Ecclestone’s story is much bigger than the familiar image of the former Formula 1 boss.
He built extraordinary wealth by understanding the commercial potential of motor racing, transformed the business side of Formula 1 and accumulated one of the world’s most remarkable collections of historic racing cars. His estimated $2.6 billion fortune reflects decades of business activity rather than one simple source of income.
His family life is equally unusual, spanning four children and several generations, while becoming a father again at 89 added another remarkable chapter.
Today, Ecclestone is no longer the man running Formula 1, but his influence has not disappeared. The Massa litigation keeps part of his F1 legacy in the courts, while the sale of his historic racing collection has effectively transferred a private piece of Formula 1 history to a new owner.
Perhaps the most revealing part of his later life is that both developments are about legacy: deciding what should happen to the past, who controls it and how history is remembered.
