Bernie Ecclestone & Slavica: The $1.2 Billion Divorce Where the Wife Was Already Richer

What Happened

Bernie Ecclestone, the diminutive British billionaire who controlled Formula 1 racing for four decades, divorced his Croatian-born wife Slavica in 2009 after 24 years of marriage. The settlement was reported at approximately $1.2 billion, making it one of the largest in British history. But the real story was far stranger: much of the money was already technically Slavica's.

Years before the divorce, Ecclestone had transferred the majority of his Formula 1 holdings into a family trust called Bambino Holdings, administered in Jersey (Channel Islands). The trust's sole beneficiary was Slavica. This structure was designed for tax purposes -- by placing assets in his wife's name, Ecclestone could claim he was not the beneficial owner for UK tax purposes. HMRC (the UK tax authority) had battled Ecclestone over this structure for years.

When the divorce arrived, the trust structure created an ironic twist: because the assets were legally in Slavica's name, the 'settlement' largely involved transferring to her what she already technically owned. Ecclestone reportedly retained a smaller share of the empire he had built. The divorce was described as amicable, with Slavica agreeing to a clean break that allowed both parties to move forward.

The case is studied by family lawyers worldwide as an example of how tax-motivated asset structures can backfire spectacularly in divorce. Ecclestone had used the trust to tell HMRC he did not own the assets. When his marriage ended, those same assets were indeed not his -- they were his wife's. You cannot tell the tax authorities you are poor and then tell the divorce court you are rich.

Legal Breakdown: Trust Structures & Tax Planning

What This Means for Your Divorce