“Democratic Dictator” Bernie Ecclestone Showed His True Colors While Being in Charge of F1: “Managed To Produce a Lot of Money”

Former F1 honcho and business magnet Bernie Ecclestone is undoubtedly one of the most chaotic yet colorful characters of Formula 1. The man who’s known for his controversies and wealth has dominated the sport for over four decades. Ecclestone, who once was “the guy” in the most premium form of motorsport, has been a “democratic dictator” of the sport.

During an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2017, Ecclestone was asked if he was a democratic dictator and runs things as he felt like. At first, the former F1 boss joked saying it must be a close friend of his who said it but then he clarified his position on this.

Talking about this, the 92-year-old business tycoon revealed, “Well, I’ve managed to deliver. You know with the old and the people that were in the company before, CBC, the chairman, and that really owned a lot of shares from the CBC, I mean he allowed me to do whatever I wanted to do.*

READ MORE: Former F1 Honcho Bernie Ecclestone Once Gave a Harsh Reality Check Surrounding Recent Hotly Debated Dutch GP Pricing Fiasco

“Which may have been wrong, but that’s what happened and I’ve managed to produce quite a lot of money for the company, so they were happy… So I was producing for them, so they were happy,” further asserted the billionaire.

Bernie Ecclestone – the man who owned a sport, almost

Born on October 28, 1930, to Sidney and Bertha Ecclestone, the man was a driver initially. After failing to impress as a motorist, he soon moved forward as the driver manager. After spending some successful years as the driver manager, Ecclestone made his first mark in 1972.

Bernie Ecclestone brought Brabham from Ron Taurance for over $100,000 and with this, he began the decade-long ownership of Formula 1. Soon after this, he became a prominent member of the FOCA (Formula One Constructors Association) alongside Frank Williams of Williams, Colin Chapman, Teddy Mayer, Ken Tyrrell, and Max Mosley.

After becoming the FOCA chief executive in 1978, the 92-year-old negotiated a series of issues with the FIA and, most importantly, the television rights. With this, he became an unbeatable force in the sport as he won the rights war for FOCA against FISA on funds distribution.

WATCH THIS STORY: F1 Drivers To Be Granted A Citizenship In Multiple Countries

Bernie Ecclestone became the most sought-after personality in F1 as he gradually started getting up the ladder. A billionaire by wealth, the man from Britain managed to take Formula 1 to the second most successful sport in the world. However, his dusk in F1 arrived once Liberty Media took over control of the sport in 2017.