The mother-in-law of Formula 1 billionaire Bernie Ecclestone has been 'kidnapped' in Brazil, according to local media. Aparecida Schunk, the 67-year-old mother of Bernie's wife Fabiana Flosi, was taken on Friday night near her home in Sao Paulo.
The kidnappers are reportedly demanding a ransom of £28million for her release, and have stipulated that the money be paid in pounds sterling and split into four plastic bags, a source close to the police investigation told Brazilian magazine Veja. It's the largest ever ransom demand in Brazilian history.
Aparecida Schunk, mother of Bernie Ecclestone's wife Fabiana, has been 'kidnapped' in Brazil
Bernie has been married to Fabiana for four years, following his divorce from Slavica Radic after 23 years of marriage.
Fabiana is reportedly very close to Aparecida. In a Facebook post shared on Mother's Day, she wrote: "Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, and especially mine. There are no words to thank so much love and dedication. Thank you mum, I love you."
Bernie and Fabiana, who live in London, are yet to release a statement on the abduction.
The couple have been married for four years
Bernie is the UK's fourth richest person with an estimated £3.2billion fortune.
He married for the first time in 1952, aged 21, to telephone operator Ivy Bamford, and they had one daughter together, Debbie, before their split in the 60s. He then had a longterm romance with Tuana Tan, before starting a relationship with Croatian model Slavic Malic in 1982. They were married in 1985, one year after the arrival of their first daughter Tamara Ecclestone. They welcomed their second daughter Petra in 1988.
Bernie with his daughters Petra and Tamara
In November 2008, Slavica filed for divorce, which was granted on 11 March 2009. The undisclosed settlement - estimated at around £750million – is one of the largest in UK history.
Bernie and Fabiana started dating in 2009. They announced their engagement in April 2012, and secretly tied the knot later that same year.