What is Jody Scheckter’s net worth?
| Net Worth: | $100 Million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 73 |
| Born: | January 29, 1950 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Country of Origin: | South Africa |
| Source of Wealth: | Professional Racing Driver |
| Last Updated: | March 8, 2023 |
Introduction
Jody Scheckter is a South African race car driver and businessman who competed from 1972 to 1980.
During his career, he achieved 10 victories for Ferrari, McLaren, Tyrrel, and Wolf and won the Formula One World Championship in 1979 for Ferrari.
He gave up racing and started a business, FATS Inc., which produced firearm training simulators for use by security, military, and law enforcement agencies.
To support his sons Tomas and Toby’s racing careers, Jody sold the business and is currently a biodynamic farmer, and a popular face in movies and television shows.
As of March 2023, Jody Scheckter’s net worth is estimated to be $100 Million.
Jody Scheckter Facts
- Scheckter won the Formula One World Championship in 1979 and is still the only driver from Africa to hold the title.
- Due to his temperament, he tried racing, first with motorbikes and subsequently in saloon cars. Due to his careless driving in his first national race, he was eliminated from the circuit.
- After winning the South African Formula Ford championship in 1970, he was awarded the Driver to Europe scholarship.
- Scheckter was referred to as the “South African Wild Man” and his tough exterior and feisty demeanor seemed to match his sometimes-erratic driving and a short fuse.
- He was the first racing car driver admitted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and is widely regarded as the finest Jewish race car driver in history.
Early Life
Jody David Scheckter was born January 29, 1950, in East London, South Africa.
Scheckter began to drive when he was relatively young, but he only knew one speed – fast, and not happy unless he was going flat out.
His father owned a Renault dealership, and Jody worked there as an engineering apprentice. With his competitive mindset, he tried racing, initially on bikes and then in saloon cars.
He was disqualified from the circuit after his maiden national race for reckless driving but eventually developed the skill to control his aggression and turn into a consistent winner.
Jody attended Hudson Park High School and Selborne College and received the “Driver to Europe” scholarship in 1970, after winning the South African Formula Ford championship.
Scheckter began his quest to become the best driver in the world with the help of his prize, £300 in cash and tickets to England for him and his wife Pam.
Career
The “South African Wild Man” soon established himself in England as a machine spinner and winner in the Formula Ford and Formula Three vehicles he raced fearlessly but frequently crashed.
His rough appearance and feisty demeanor appeared to go down well with his somewhat reckless driving.
He was not to be trifled with, speaking plainly and with a fiery temper, his woolly hair and distinctive frown were intimidating to race officials and competitors alike.
However, his speed was unquestionable, and when he was able to maintain it, his car handling was superb.
Visionary talent scouts believed that the driver was a gem in the rough who only needed some polishing to become a Formula One powerhouse to be reckoned with.
In 1979, Enzo Ferrari invited Scheckter to join one of the most popular luxury car brands, Ferrari Scuderia, and join Gilles Villeneuve in the innovative, ground-effect 312T4 race car.
Scheckter drove consistently and tactically the whole season, winning 3 races and becoming the Formula One Championship winner in 1979.
To top it all, he was able to take Ferrari to a Constructors’ Win, but was unable to remain competitive in 1980 and retired from racing at the end of the season.
He is one of the richest racing drivers in the world and joins Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton as the most successful drivers on the circuit.
He later sold the $100 million business he’d built, with 280 staff and a presence in 35 countries, to take time off to manage his sons’ racing careers.
After driving the most expensive Ferraris in the world, he started an organic farming business in Hampshire, England called Laverstoke Park Farm.
Jody Scheckter’s Career Earnings
Jody was given a test drive by McLaren in the 1972 US Grand Prix before being hired for sporadic appearances in a third vehicle throughout the 1973 campaign.
Scheckter made an immediate impression in Formula One, capturing the lead at the start of the French Grand Prix. The impact this had on his earnings cannot be underestimated as it was an indication of just how good a driver he was.
As Scheckter is now retired, calculating his annual income accurately is not possible, although there are reports that he earns in excess of $10 million per year.
The Scheckter McLaren that crashed into Emerson Fittipaldi’s Lotus, sending the Lotus spinning off the track and the reigning world champion into a raging frenzy was a defining moment.
Fittipaldi yelled, “This lunatic is a danger to himself and everyone else and does not belong in F1”.
How wrong could he be, as history proved that Scheckter did indeed belong in F1 and he would end up earning millions from his world championship win in 1979.
Scheckter joins Mario Andretti, Alain Prost, David Coulthard, and Jackie Stewart as iconic Formula 1 racing drivers.
Jody Scheckter’s Net Worth Annually
During Scheckter’s following race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the anti-Scheckter movement gathered significant steam.
When the congested field of 28 cars converged on the 150 mph Woodcote circuit, Jody qualified sixth on the grid and moved up to fourth on the first lap.
Here’s a breakdown of Jody Scheckter’s annual net worth:
- Jody Scheckter’s Net Worth In 2017 – $60 Million
- Jody Scheckter’s Net Worth In 2018 – $70 Million
- Jody Scheckter’s Net Worth In 2019 – $80 Million
- Jody Scheckter’s Net Worth In 2020 – $90 Million
- Jody Scheckter’s Net Worth In 2021 – $97 Million
- Jody Scheckter’s Net Worth In 2022 – $100 Million
But he struck the cement wall in front of the Silverstone pits hard, and the McLaren lost control, spinning erratically in the middle of the pack.
The chaos he had started continued for some time as Jody climbed out of the smoking debris, unharmed.
Personal Life
Jody Scheckter is married and has six children; two from his first marriage to Pamela, Toby, and Tomas, and four from his current marriage to Clare, Hugo, Freddie, Ila, and Poppy.
His daughter Ila, age 21, passed away tragically on October 17, 2019, as she was preparing for further brain surgery.
After a prosperous commercial career in the US, Clare Scheckter relocated to the UK in 1996.
While there, she played a key role in the founding of Laverstoke Park Farm, a 2,500-acre organic and biodynamic estate in Hampshire, England.
Since its launch by HRH Princess Royal in 2002, the Laverstoke Park Education Centre has hosted over 15,000 young people for free agricultural educational visits.
You can follow Jody’s official Instagram account or official Twitter account to see what he’s getting up to now.
Awards & Achievements
The specifics of his crash were masked by massive clouds of smoke and dust, but there were flashes of cars flying through the air and debris raining down across a huge area.
Thankfully, Andrea de Adamich of Surtees was the only one hurt, however, eight cars were completely wrecked.
Here are some of the more memorable moments from Jody Scheckter’s career:
- Jody secured a third-place finish in the Drivers’ Championship in 1974.
- He won a race at Sweden’s Anderstorp racetrack in a six-wheel Tyrrell P34.
- In 1977 he was only one point behind Niki Lauder on the driver’s championship leaderboard.
- Jody and James Hunt were good friends but battled it out for the lead in the American Grand Prix in 1980.
- Scheckter replaced Martin Brundle as the commentator in the 1999 San Marino Grand Prix.
Jody Scheckter was found to be at fault for the worst Formula One collision ever but was lucky to keep racing.
Following a turbulent but productive career, Jody believed he had succeeded in achieving the only goal that counted, winning the Formula One Drivers Championship.
How Does Jody Scheckter Spend His Money?
After winning the Formula One world championship in his Ferrari 312 T4 in 1979, Jody Scheckter gave up racing in 1980.
Later, he focused on business, launching the wildly successful FATS Inc in America.
Currently, he is content to work at Hampshire’s Laverstoke Park Farm as a multiple-award-winning farmer.
To add to the Ferrari race car he owned, Jody started collecting a number of the most expensive cars in the world that had driven over the years.
He currently has a substantial car collection after adding a Tyrrell P34, also known as a 6-wheel Tyrrell, as well as a Wolf WR1, McLaren M23, and a McLaren M19.
He also added a McLaren M21, Rondel Motul M1, the Merlyn Mk21, a Trojan T101, Merlyn Mk11a, and his beloved Porsche 917.
He also owns property in South Africa worth more than $20 Million in Cape Town and posts pictures of his sea views on his Twitter account.
Highlights
Critics predicted he wouldn’t get along with Ferrari’s tyrannical management, but he far outperformed expectations, helping them win the Constructors’ Championship.
He drove consistently throughout the season, winning three races and finally winning the Drivers’ Championship in 1979.
Here are some of the best highlights of Jody Scheckter’s career:
- Scheckter became the first South African to win a Formula One race in 1974.
- He won the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch in 1974.
- In 1975, Jody won the South African Grand Prix.
- He clinched the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 1979 and with it the Drivers Championship.
- Scheckter is a world-famous organic farmer.
To fulfill his contractual duties, he completed the 1980 season with Ferrari before retiring at the age of 30.
Already wealthy from his racing career, he increased his riches by succeeding as a smart businessman in industries unrelated to Formula One racing.
Favorite Jody Scheckter Quotes
Jody Scheckter was extremely fast and after a stunning stint in Formula Ford, he arrived in England to take on the best.
His performances were so good that he secured offers from Formula One teams to race for them.
Here are our favorite quotes from Jody Scheckter:
- “Gilles was the fastest driver in the history of motor racing.” – Jody Scheckter
- “Michael Schumacher deserved the driver’s championship. To be honest, I didn’t want to keep my record as the last Ferrari world champion; it’s never done me any good!” – Jody Scheckter
- “I wanted to produce the best tasting, healthiest food for myself. ” – Jody Scheckter
- “Bio-diversity is the key to a healthy, natural environment.” – Jody Scheckter
- “It was a relief to become World Champion.” – Jody Scheckter
3 Amazing Lessons From Jody Scheckter
Jody Scheckter was able to become world champion against all odds, as he didn’t have the temperament for Formula One according to his critics.
Now that you know all about Jody Scheckter’s net worth, here are some of the best success lessons to learn from Jody Scheckter:
1. Give Credit Where It Is Due
Despite his aggressive exterior and no-nonsense approach, Jody Scheckter is pragmatic about his career in Formula One.
He is very clear about his strengths and weaknesses and is more than happy to give credit to fellow competitors who drove as well or better than he did.
2. Be Humble
While Jody Was the undisputed champion in 1979, he felt that he had never really benefited from being the world champion for so long at Ferrari.
He was more than happy when Schumacher won the championship and brought the silverware back to Italy.
3. Soil Is Life
Jody is passionate about his farming and the role that healthy soil plays in the cycle of farming and food production.
Without healthy soil, there can never be healthy food, and he is using his skills and knowledge to ensure that his farm has the best soil possible.
Summary
Jody had to quit his career in racing and found great success in creating businesses across the world. In the process, he amassed considerable wealth which allowed him to follow his passion for farming organically.
He never stopped giving his all, even when people tried to bring him down, and is an inspiration to many aspiring race car drivers.
As of March 2023, Jody Scheckter’s net worth is estimated to be $100 Million.
