Flavio Briatore is an Italian businessman who worked as Renault’s team principal and previously as Benetton’s managing director.
Flavio has an interesting back story; he qualified as a land surveyor, although he never took advantage of that section of his education.
His education was borne from life experience.
He worked as a ski instructor and a door-to-door salesman, managed a restaurant, and worked as a PA to Attilio Dutto, the owner of the Paramatti Vernici paint company.
Mr. Dutto was killed mysteriously by a car bomb, with a hallmark calling card of La Cosa Nostra.
I digress; Flavio developed the Billionaire Couture and Billionaire Lifestyle labels.
He is also known for owning the Billionaire Club in Sardinia, a popular haven for the rich and famous.
He was married to Elisabetta Gregoraci, the Wonderbra model.
Matters of tax evasion and fiscal irregularities marred his reputation.
But his strategic management style was undeniably successful whilst running Benetton and then the Renault F1 teams.
A scandal plagued this success, the Crashgate Affair.
He and mechanic Pat Symonds were believed to have deliberately told their driver, Nelson Piquet Jr., to crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
The reason for the crash was evidently to help team-mate Fernando Alonso win the race.
Mr Symonds and Flavio were unceremoniously kicked out.
Flavio sued the FIA regarding the ban; a tribunal eventually overturned the ban, and Flavio was rewarded financially.
‘Flavio Briatore: where charisma meets controversy and creates chaos’
