Despite Building F1 Empire, $3 Billion Worth Tycoon Bernie Ecclestone Chases the Thrill of Haggling for Discounts

Former Formula One Group CEO, Bernie Ecclestone, is the reason we see Formula One in the form it is in today. His prolonged rule on the sport played a big part in earning him the fortunes that he possesses today. While the man is virtually capable of buying anything that he wants to, turns out he is quite a frugal man.

Bernie’s daughter, Tamara, lives quite a lavish lifestyle and is very vocal about it. Her father, however, does not agree with the way she chooses to live her life. Tamara revealed this, and quite a lot more, about her father in a podcast she appeared in 2018.

Bernie Ecclestone loves discounts

Tamara Ecclestone appeared on a podcast where she got candid about her life with Natalie Pinkham. Tamara gave fans an insight into her life being the daughter of the F1 supremo. She also revealed facets of the former F1 boss that nobody knew about.

The host, Natalie Pinkham, asks Tamara whether she would describe her father as a frugal person. Tamara replied, “Yeah, he totally doesn’t agree with how I live my life”.

She said that her father is very down-to-earth and doesn’t find pleasure in shopping. To this, Natalie asks her about what does make him happy. Tamara revealed that buying stuff on sale and getting good deals is what makes him truly happy.

Tamara continued by saying that Bernie does not like to pay the full asking price. She said, “he’s always asking for discounts and haggling”.

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Tamara then recalled a memory from when she was eleven years old and wanted to buy a bomber jacket. She said, “he took me into the store and they said 80 pounds or something, and my dad was like, ‘I’ll give you 40’ like we went to a Moroccan market, haggling. I was so ashamed.” She, however, acknowledges that “it was a lesson well learned”.

Bernie Ecclestone, the toughest person to interview

Tamara returned to Natalie’s podcast in 2019. She briefly talked about the time in 2009 when she worked for Sky Sports in Italy. She recalled the couple of times she had to interview Bernie.

Tamara recalled, “Whenever I interviewed my dad, he literally gave me one-word answers, and I was like, come on, give me something to work with”.

Her dad did not give her an easy ride, and she called those interviews her toughest. She, however, mentioned that he did it to show her that he wouldn’t treat her differently just because she was his daughter.

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Bernie did have some quirky ways of teaching life lessons to his daughter. All parents do. At least there is something we can all relate to when it comes to the $3 Billion worth business tycoon.