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British businessman (born 1937) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Patrick Sean McNally (born 20 December 1937)[1] is a British businessman, former racing driver, and socialite. He was chief executive of Allsport Management, a Swiss-based company part of the Formula One Group, which controlled Formula One advertising and hospitality via the Paddock Club.
Paddy McNally | |
---|---|
Born | Patrick Sean McNally 20 December 1937 Gravesend, Kent, England |
Nationality | British, Irish, Swiss |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1963–2011 |
Known for | Formula 1 and association with Sarah Ferguson |
Spouse |
Anne Downing
(m. 1967; died 1980) |
Children | 2 |
McNally was born on 20 December 1937[1] in Gravesend.[2] He was the fourth and youngest son of G/Capt. Patrick McNally, an Irish medical officer in the Royal Air Force,[3] and Mary Deane Outred.[4] He grew up in County Monaghan, Ireland, and was educated at Stonyhurst College.[4] He initially worked in London as a Grand Prix reporter.[4][5][6]
Beginning his career as a motorsports journalist for Autosport magazine, McNally was also involved in sports car racing in the 1960s.[7] He then moved to Switzerland and worked for Philip Morris's Marlboro as a sponsorship consultant.[5][6] Later he was a driver manager of Niki Lauda and James Hunt, respectively.[8]
McNally began working with Bernie Ecclestone in the late 1970s.[6] In 1984, he set up Allsport Management SA, a company which provided corporate hospitality and trackside advertising for Formula One events.[9] Based in Geneva, Allsport and related Allsopp Parker & Marsh (APM), registered in Ireland,[10] owned the trackside advertising rights at Formula One circuits and operated the Formula One Paddock Club, the Grand Prix hospitality provider.[11][12][13]
McNally, along with Ecclestone and Max Mosley, is considered a principal architect of modern Formula One.[14]
In March 2006, he sold Allsport Management to CVC for an estimated £300 million.[15][16] He remained chief executive until 2011, when he announced his retirement.[17][18]
According to the 2014 Sunday Times Rich List, McNally has a net worth of £510 million.[19]
McNally was formerly married to the daughter of Ken Downing with whom, before her death in 1980, he had two sons.[3] He dated Sarah Ferguson (later Duchess of York) between 1982 and 1986.[20][21][22] The pair remain close friends.[23] He has homes in the Côte d'Azur and Switzerland, notably chalets in Verbier.[24][25][26] He also owns Warneford Place, Wiltshire, the former home of Ian Fleming. In 2004, the property was burgled.[27]
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