For Americans, can one imagine Roger Goodell, Dana White or Bud Selig navigating a multi-millon dollar bribery trial? Formula One Management and Formula One Administration CEO Bernie Ecclestone finds himself in exactly that situation, with the 83-year-old sheepishly offering millions for the case to simply go away.
The extremely controversial British magnate has offered €20 million to settle a host of Formula One bribery charges from 2006-07 as he faces ten years of prison in Germany.
Ecclestone is accused of paying German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky €26 million over the course of two years, from 2006-2007 to ensure he retained complete control over the monstrosity of the motor sports empire that is Formula One. The prosecutors believe this cash was given to Gribkowsky as a bribe during a stock sale between BayernLB and CVC Capital Partners of Britain, the company that is now Formula One’s majority shareholder.
The bad news for Ecclestone? Gribkowsky was already found guilty of corruption and sentenced to 8-plus years in 2012.
This is not the first time that Ecclestone has been in the midst of controversy. His past is infamously littered with sexist and anti-seminitism comments along accusations of homophobic agendas and repeated tax evasion cases, all of which do not bode well for his claim of innocence in this massive bribery case.
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Photo Courtesy: AP
