Motorsport tycoon Paddy McNally dies at 88

Paddy McNally, a prominent figure in the motorsport world and a longtime friend of Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, died on July 22, 2026, at the age of 88. His death followed a prolonged illness and came just two months after the sudden death of his son, Sean, on a Scottish estate.

McNally, born in Gravesend, Kent, in 1937, forged a lucrative career alongside Formula One icon Bernie Ecclestone. He rose to become chief executive of the Swiss-based firm Allsports Management, which controlled advertising and hospitality rights within the sport. The business was eventually acquired by Ecclestone in 2006 for 262.4 million pounds, which afforded McNally an extensive international property portfolio.

His connection to Sarah Ferguson dates to the early 1980s. Following the death of his wife, Anne Downing, in 1980, Ferguson was hired to care for his two sons, Sean and Rollo. What began as a professional arrangement developed into a romantic relationship that lasted from 1982 to 1985. The relationship ended the same year Ferguson began seeing Prince Andrew, whom she married in 1986. Despite the end of their romance, the pair remained close friends throughout their lives.