Not Michael Schumacher, nor Lewis Hamilton, nor Fernando Alonso. The Formula 1 driver who has earned the most money in history is Paolo Barilla. You may not recognize his name, but surely you have tasted his pasta. Because Barilla founded one of Italy’s wealthiest companies right after stepping away from his Minardi to hang up his helmet.
Barilla raced one season with Minardi and touched the sky by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1985 with a Porsche 956B. But his greatest achievement came right after, when together with his brothers he took the helm of a family pasta business that today makes him the holder of a fortune of more than a billion dollars.
Barilla raced in Minardi and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans before becoming a billionaire
You may have tried Barilla pasta at some point, and what you probably didn’t know is that behind it lies a former Formula 1 driver. Not just any driver, but the one who has earned more money than anyone in history. And while behind the wheel Paolo Barilla was far from a star, but when he hung up his helmet he turned to ventures in which he had more skill.
Paolo Barilla only competed in nine Formula 1 races. He drove for Minardi in 1990, one of the worst cars on the grid, with which not only did he fail to score a point, but he was even unable to pre-qualify for several races. He was 29 years old, and that season in Formula 1 was the dream he had pursued all his life. He finished so exhausted that after that he retired.
What he himself could not have imagined was what would come next. While Barilla finished his career as a driver, his father ran a pasta company. His name? Yes, Barilla. But the father died not long after, so the three brothers had to take the helm of the company. Paolo served as vice-president alongside his brother Luca, and Guido Barilla was the president.
Barilla had already existed as a company for decades, and in fact had been the financial backbone of Paolo’s entire racing career. But venturing into international markets was a new challenge that the three brothers had to undertake with almost no preparation. The result could not be better: today Barilla is a world-leading company.
In fact, Barilla is a partner of Formula 1 itself, and what better ambassador than Paolo Barilla himself. The company promotes its pastas at circuits around the world, not by aligning with a specific team, but through a global deal with Formula 1. These business ventures have turned Paolo Barilla into a curious record holder in Formula 1.
Because it is estimated that Paolo Barilla’s net worth exceeds one billion dollars. That is, he is the Formula 1 driver who has earned the most money in history. And all of that without needing to accumulate a single point, simply by making good decisions when he took charge of his family business.
The curious story of a Formula 1 driver unknown to the general public, but one whom more than a few would like to be. The story of Paolo Barilla.
Images | Minardi, Barilla
