Reports: Bernie Ecclestone's mother-in-law kidnapped in Brazil
Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone’s eventful life has taken a scary turn.
According to reports, Ecclestone’s mother-in-law was kidnapped in Brazil. Per Veja, the kidnappers of 67-year-old Aparecida Schunck are requesting a ransom of more than $36 million. If paid, it would be the largest known ransom payment in Brazil.
Schunck, the mother of Ecclestone’s 38-year-old wife Fabiana Flosi, was reportedly kidnapped from her home in Sao Paulo. The kidnappers have also reportedly requested the ransom be paid in pounds sterling and divided into four bags.
Ecclestone, 85, met Flosi when she was working for the Brazilian Grand Prix. He then divorced his wife at the time, Slavica Radic, in 2009 and married Flosi in 2012. Per Eurosport and the BBC, Ecclestone has not commented regarding the kidnapping reports.
As the head of Formula 1, Ecclestone’s worth is estimated to be nearly $4 billion. He was robbed in 2010 while he was with Flosi outside of his London office and thieves took over $300,000 worth of jewelry.
Ecclestone is known for his, uh, eccentric comments. Earlier this year when Formula 1 headed to Azerbaijan for the first time, he said the course in the Asian country made North America look like a bit of a s***hole.
Brazil is set to host the Olympics in less than two weeks as the country is experiencing severe economic turmoil. Crime, among many other things, is a prime worry as the games begin on Aug. 5.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
