I used to be an F1 driver… but now I’m a billionaire and in charge of the world’s biggest pasta company
FORMER F1 driver Paolo Barilla is now a billionaire in charge of the world’s biggest pasta company.
The Italian enjoyed a solid motor racing career before retiring to go into the family business in 1990.
He has since become the deputy chairman of the Barilla Group – the world’s largest pasta producer.
Alongside his brothers Guido and Luca as well as their sister Emanuella, Barilla shares an 85 per cent stake in the company.
As a result, he was listed as a billionaire by Forbes in 2018 with a net worth of $1.1billion (£910million).
Before his success with the family business, though, Barilla competed in both Formula Two and Formula 3000 during the 1980s.
He later raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning in 1985 for New-Man Joest Racing.
Alongside co-drivers Klaus Ludwig and Louis Krages, the trio tasted glory in their Porsche 956B but failed to finish the race the following year.
Barilla then went on to race in F1 with Minardi, but his time in the sport was marred by his habit of not qualifying.
From his 15 race entries, Barilla made just nine starts, with a best finish of 11th coming at the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix.
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He left Minardi later that year and joined the family business, which had been founded in 1877 by his great-grandfather Pietro Barilla Sr.
The company has since been passed down through three generations and now does business in over 100 countries around the world.
Barilla did make a brief return to racing in 2014, winning the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco in the Formula Three class.