Ex-Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone to pay $800 million over tax fraud
Ecclestone agreed a civil settlement with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), under which he will pay 652.6 million pounds covering tax, interest and penalties for 18 tax years between 1994 and 2022, prosecutor Richard Wright said.
He appeared at Southwark Crown Court and admitted one count of fraud by false representation, just over a month before he was due to stand trial.
Ecclestone, accompanied by his wife Fabiana, spoke only to confirm his name and to enter his plea. "I plead guilty," he said.
Ecclestone admitted giving a misleading answer to HMRC at a July 2015 meeting, when he said he had established only a single trust in favour of his daughters and was not a beneficiary or settlor of any other trust.
"Mr Ecclestone did not know the true position and was therefore not in a position to provide a positive or negative answer," prosecutor Richard Wright said on Thursday.
Ecclestone's lawyer Clare Montgomery told the court that Ecclestone "did not know the true position" about whether he was the beneficiary or settlor of any other trust.
"He should have said 'I don't know' rather than 'No'," Montgomery said. She added that Ecclestone's answer to HMRC was an "impulsive lapse of judgment".
Judge Simon Bryan gave Ecclestone a 17-month prison sentence suspended for two years, meaning he will only go to jail if he commits another criminal offence during that time.
Ecclestone's lawyer Clare Montgomery told the court Ecclestone "did not know the true position" about whether he was the beneficiary or settlor of any other trust, saying his answer to HMRC was an "impulsive lapse of judgment".
Ecclestone gave an unintelligible response to reporters as he left the court and got into a waiting Range Rover.
Andrew Penhale, chief crown prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement: "All members of UK society, regardless of how wealthy or famous they are, must pay their taxes and be transparent and open with HMRC about their financial affairs."
Richard Las, chief investigation officer and director of the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said Ecclestone had "lied to HMRC".
"This conviction demonstrates no-one is above the law and HMRC will work tirelessly to ensure the tax system is fair to all and pays for our vital public services," he added.
Ecclestone had attempted to stop the prosecution earlier this year, with his lawyers arguing that putting him on trial posed a serious risk to his life.
A cardiologist gave evidence that the stress of the trial meant that Ecclestone was "more likely to die than not during the trial", according to a June ruling.
However, Bryan said there was "no real and immediate threat to the life of Mr Ecclestone by reason of the trial process".
The decision also states that Ecclestone paid around 250 million pounds in income and capital gains tax to HMRC between 1999 and 2017.
His lawyer Montgomery had noted at a previous hearing in January that Ecclestone was charged shortly after he made "unpopular" comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin.