---
title: "F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone’s Mother-in-Law Held For $36.7 Million Ransom"
description: "Police confirm kidnapping."
date: "2016-07-28"
modified: "2016-07-28"
authors:
  - name: "Max Prince"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/max-prince"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/4604/f1-boss-bernie-ecclestones-mother-in-law-held-for-36-7-million-ransom"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Bernie Ecclestone"
  - "brazil"
  - "Formula 1"
  - "law & order"
---

# F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone’s Mother-in-Law Held For $36.7 Million Ransom

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/herogettyimages-578776500.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The mother-in-law of Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has [gone missing](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/4570/was-bernie-ecclestones-mother-in-law-kidnapped-in-brazil>) in Brazil. Aparecida Schunck, 67, was reportedly abducted from her home in São Paulo late Friday night. Now, police have confirmed that she is being held captive for ransom.

That's per [TMZ](<https://www.tmz.com/2016/07/26/f1-honcho-bernie-ecclestone-mother-in-law-kidnapped/>), which claims to have spoken to the local law enforcement agency investigating Schunck’s disappearance. According to the entertainment news site, a spokesperson from Policia Civil do Estado de São Paulo says the kidnappers are demanding 120 million Reais ($36.7 million) for Schunck’s return, to be paid in British pounds sterling and divided into four bags. According to *Veja*, the Brazilian magazine that originally [broke the story](<https://veja.abril.com.br/brasil/o-maior-sequestro-do-brasil/>), that's the largest amount ever demanded by captors in the country.

![inlinegettyimages-187991060.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/inlinegettyimages-187991060.jpg>)
*Aparecida Schunck, abducted Friday night and currently being held for ransom, is the mother of Ecclestone's third wife, Fabiana Flosi (right)., *Paul Gilham/Getty**

Kidnapping is endemic in the region. Statistics are obfuscated by a number of factors, including corruption, but [estimates](<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/09/violent-deaths-in-brazil-surge-to-peak-of-58000-amid-olympic-safety-fears>) put Brazil in the running for the highest violent crime rate worldwide. Safety has been of [particular concern](<https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/travel-guide/news/a7088/2016-rio-olympics-safety/>) heading into the 2016 Rio Olympics, and this high-profile case certainly isn't going to help the country’s cause.

As of Wednesday evening, Ecclestone is yet to comment on the case.

More on this story as it unfolds.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/themaxprince>)