Paddy McNally

Patrick Sean McNally (born 20 December 1937) is a British businessman, former racing driver, and socialite. He was chief executive of Allsport Management, a Swiss-based company which controlled Formula One advertising and hospitality via the Paddock Club.

Paddy McNally
McNally at the 1971 Monaco Grand Prix
Born	Patrick Sean McNally (1937-12-20) 20 December 1937 (age 87) Gravesend, Kent, England
Nationality	British
Occupations	Businessman racing driver journalist socialite
Years active	1963–2011
Known for	Formula 1 and association with Sarah, Duchess of York
Children	2

Early life

McNally was born in Gravesend on 20 December 1937,^[1][2] the son of G/Capt. Patrick McNally, a Royal Air Force officer, and Mary Deane Outred.^[3][4] He grew up in County Monaghan, Ireland, and was educated at Stonyhurst College where he excelled as a rugby player and boxer.^[4] A relative of racing driver Redmond Gallagher,^[5] he initially worked in London as a Grand Prix reporter.^[6][7]

Career

Beginning his career as a motorsports journalist for Autosport magazine, McNally was also involved in sports car racing himself in the 1960s.^[8] Residing in Lausanne, Switzerland, he then worked for Philip Morris's Marlboro as a sponsorship consultant.^[6][7] Later he was a driver manager of Niki Lauda and James Hunt, respectively.^[9]

McNally began working with Bernie Ecclestone in the late 1970s.^[7] In 1984, he set up Allsport Management SA, a company which provided corporate hospitality and trackside advertising for Formula One events.^[10] Based in Geneva, Allsport and related Allsopp Parker & Marsh (APM), registered in Ireland,^[11] owned the trackside advertising rights at Formula One circuits and operated the Formula One Paddock Club, the Grand Prix hospitality provider.^[12][13][14]

In March 2006, he sold Allsport Management to CVC for an estimated £300 million.^[15][16][17] He remained chief executive until 2011, when he announced his retirement.^[18][19][20]

McNally, along with Ecclestone and Max Mosley, is considered a principal architect of modern Formula One.^[21]

Personal life

McNally dated Sarah Ferguson between 1982 and 1986; after refusing to marry her she ended up wedding Prince Andrew, Duke of York.^[22][23][24] The pair remain close friends.^[25][26][27] Another notable romance was with Finnish fashion model Nina 1980.^[26][27]

McNally has been noted for his social prominence in the Swiss ski resort Verbier, where since 1980 he has owned several chalets locally referred to as "Cocaine Castle".^{[28][29][30][31][32]} He is the owner of Sevenhampton Place, Wiltshire, the former home of James Bond author Ian Fleming. In 2004, the property was burgled.^[33][34]