Eddie Jordan Background?
Discussion
I would love to know this as well. wikipedia has a little bit of background http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Jordan but doesn't give any info on where all the money came from for him to go racing or to start his own teams. Also doesn't say much about his current business interests.
I'd have to flick back through to be sure, but from memory of reading his autobiography; got the impression that anything non racing in the early days was a means to an end of going racing. Once he had a racing team, it was the focus of things so I would presume that whatever he has now is largely as a result of what he 'earnt' whilst running the teams + whatever he sold it for....
Edited by llewop on Monday 2nd August 08:40
I first remember him as owner and driver of the Formula 3 Marlboro team Ireland, IIRC he was very much midfield material.
Interesting side story, around the time he gave up driving the F3 car, he co drove Sigi Brunns old Porsche 908 (updated to something like 908/80 spec)in the then world championship for makes series which at the time was for group 5 and group 6 cars just before group C came along. He did pretty much the whole season excepting the Nurburgring 1000 km where, for whatever reason, he was replaced by Herbert Muller. Sadly, Herbie Muller died in a accident at that race.......
Interesting side story, around the time he gave up driving the F3 car, he co drove Sigi Brunns old Porsche 908 (updated to something like 908/80 spec)in the then world championship for makes series which at the time was for group 5 and group 6 cars just before group C came along. He did pretty much the whole season excepting the Nurburgring 1000 km where, for whatever reason, he was replaced by Herbert Muller. Sadly, Herbie Muller died in a accident at that race.......
As I recollect, he started as an accountant, working for an Irish Bank and went from there into racing himself (he was no mean driver in his day), then running his own team(s) over the years, then gambled everything on the big step into F1. And he did gamble everything. And after a quite a few years of sailing VERY close to the wind, they made it good with a couple of F1 wins, and he was able to sell the team with Bernie's help, for a great big pile of wonga.
Jonny671 said:
I think OP is asking how he came to purchase a Formula 1 team.
No - has asked "where' he got his fortune from and I answered where it is from.....the owning and selling of his team. He started the team from scratch on a lot of borrowed money and credit. He didn't have any real wealth before then.
touring fan said:
Jonny671 said:
I think OP is asking how he came to purchase a Formula 1 team.
No - has asked "where' he got his fortune from and I answered where it is from.....the owning and selling of his team. He started the team from scratch on a lot of borrowed money and credit. He didn't have any real wealth before then.
So I guess it is, well not these days I'd imagine because its probably more expensive these days to start a team from not much.
In his autobiography he tells the tale of when he worked in the bank and people would come in for a loan for a car. He'd ask them what sort of car they were after and he'd reply "you're in luck, I know of a really good one for sale", he'd then go and find an example of that car for sale and flog it onto the punter at a profit.
The autobiography is a bit vague on events during the time period where he goes from a struggling F3 entrant running on a tiny budget to being an established F3 team turning a modest profit (£500,000pa I think he mentions) and being able to consider an F1 entry.
The autobiography is a bit vague on events during the time period where he goes from a struggling F3 entrant running on a tiny budget to being an established F3 team turning a modest profit (£500,000pa I think he mentions) and being able to consider an F1 entry.
covboy said:
Steamer said:
Scooby_snax said:
shirt said:
wasn't he in banking?
as a cashier - yes...bit like Terry Wogan
I'm sure Eddie's dad had a garage.. but then again quite a few racers dad's have had - so maybe I'm just mixed up (no surprise there!)
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