Bernie Ecclestone has reflected on the extraordinary experience of being both a father to a 70-year-old and a five-year-old as he quietly celebrates his 95th birthday in Switzerland.
The former Formula One boss, whose life has spanned from post-war London to the summit of global motorsport, said watching his eldest and youngest children side by side reminds him how much the world - and his own life - has changed.
“It’s quite something,” he told Bild.
“You look at your oldest and youngest and realise how much has happened in between.”
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Ecclestone marked his birthday in the Alpine village of Gstaad with his wife, Fabiana, 49, and their son, Ace.
The couple divide their time between Switzerland and Brazil and say their focus is now entirely on family life.
Their household routine is deliberately simple. No screen time for Ace during the week, structured homework, and nightly dinners where conversation takes precedence over gadgets.
“Ace is a wonderful boy,” Ecclestone said.
F1 facts fans might not know | GETTY/GBNEWS“He’s bright, curious and interested in everything.”
Fabiana added that parenting is a shared effort, explaining that her husband’s calm patience often balances her firmer discipline.
The tranquil family life contrasts sharply with Ecclestone’s earlier decades building Formula One into a multibillion-pound global empire through relentless negotiation and strategic control.
Once among the most influential figures in sport, he now lives at a slower pace.
Bernie Ecclestone and wife Fabiana have a five-year-old together
|GETTY
That involves reading in the mornings, walking in the afternoons, and spending evenings at home with his family.
Despite an estimated fortune of around £3billion, the Ecclestones are said to live modestly in their chalet overlooking the mountains.
The couple recently sold one of their yachts and plan to sell another, describing the move as practical given how rarely they used them.
The simplification follows a 2023 court case in which Ecclestone admitted misleading tax authorities about overseas assets.
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| GETTY/GBNEWSHe agreed to pay £750million in back taxes and received a 17-month suspended sentence. The outcome spared him prison but drew a definitive close to a turbulent chapter in his business life.
Earlier this year, he also sold his renowned private collection of 69 Formula One cars for an estimated £500 million.
The vehicles, considered one of the most valuable personal collections in motorsport, were purchased by Red Bull heir Mark Mateschitz.
“These are unique vehicles,” Ecclestone said when confirming the sale.
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is enjoying a quieter life these days
| PA“They have written sport history and marked technical milestones. They embody 70 years of Formula One history.”
He added that the collection was now “in the very best of hands,” describing Mateschitz as “the most worthy owner we could ever imagine.”
Mateschitz confirmed that the cars will be preserved, expanded, and eventually displayed for public viewing.
As Ecclestone enters his mid-nineties, his reflections extend beyond racing and wealth to the friendships that defined his career.
“Many people came and went,” he said. “But real friends, those who stay with you through everything, there were very few. I think there were four—now just one.”
For the man who once controlled the global destiny of Formula One, life today is defined by quieter victories: a young son starting school, an eldest daughter turning seventy, and the simple satisfaction of family dinners high in the Swiss Alps.