Jean Todt Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements

Publish date: 2024-07-06

Jean Todt Biography

(President of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile & Former Rally Co-Driver)

Birthday: February 25, 1946 (Pisces)

Born In: Pierrefort, France

Advanced Search Jean Todt is a famous French motorsport executive and a former rally co-driver. He was born in Pierrefort, France, to a Jewish doctor father. Jean was interested in motorsports ever since he was a child. Although his father wanted him to become a doctor, Jean was fond of repairing and tuning cars in a garage in Paris in his free time. Jean received his bachelor’s degree from a prestigious economics and business school in Paris and started his career in 1966 as a rally co-driver. He participated in several world championships with different car manufacturers and teamed up with many international drivers. He ended up winning his career’s first world championship rally in 1981, teaming up with Guy Fréquelin. In 1981, he gave up on races and was later hired as the director of racing for ‘Peugeot.’ He also served as the general manager of ‘Scuderia Ferrari.’ In 2006, he was promoted to the post of the CEO at ‘Ferrari.’ He quit in 2009 to accept the role of the president of the ‘Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile’ (FIA). In 2015, he was appointed as the special envoy for road safety of the secretary-general of the ‘United Nations.’ Quick Facts

French Celebrities Born In February

Age: 78 Years, 78 Year Old Males

Family:

children: Nicolas Todt

Partner: Michelle Yeoh (2004–present)

Rally Drivers French Men

Ancestry: Polish French

Notable Alumni: École Des Cadres, Paris, France

Founder/Co-Founder: Peugeot Sport

More Facts

education: École Des Cadres, Paris, France

awards: Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour

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French PeopleMale SportspersonsFrench SportspersonsFrench Rally Drivers Childhood & Early LifeJean Todt was born on February 25, 1946, in Pierrefort, a small village located in the Auvergne region of France. His father was a Jew who had arrived in France from Poland at the age of 17, during the Second World War.In France, Jean’s father worked as a doctor. He wanted Jean to follow in his footsteps. However, Jean was not interested in medicine. He was a sports car enthusiast ever since he was a child.Jean attended the ‘École Des Cadres’ (also known as the ‘École des Dirigeants et Créateurs d'Entreprise,’ or ‘EDC’), a business school in Paris. However, Jean spent all his spare time at the ‘Madeleine’ garage in Paris, tuning cars along with his friends. During those formative years, his interest in rallies and cars intensified.He graduated from the business school in 1966. His fascination with motor sports led him to aim for a career in the same domain. He was heavily inspired by legends such as Jim Clark and Dan Gurney.During the early phases of his career, he used his family car, a ‘Mini Cooper,’ to venture into rallies. He knew that he could benefit as a rally driver by partnering with another driver.Continue Reading Below CareerJean Todt participated in his first rally in 1966, partnering with Guy Chasseuil. Jean was first noticed for his impeccable skills in navigations, calculations, and strategies. After he entered the rally track, he became one of the most sought-after young navigators in the local arena.Within the first year of entering the track, he partnered with some of the biggest names in the game, such as Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Rauno Aaltonen, Hannu Mikkola, and Guy Fréquelin. He also enjoyed a great deal of success while partnering with Jean-François Piot, Ove Andersson, Achim Warmbold, and Jean-Claude Lefèbvre.After participating in several world championships in the following years, Jean won the ‘World Rally Championship,’ partnering with Guy Fréquelin, in 1981. Driving a ‘Talbot’ car, he won the championship and was the first runner-up in the drivers’ segment in the same championship.Just when his racing career was starting to pick up pace, he became disinterested in the track. He developed a keen interest in the managerial aspects of the sport and tried getting involved with the ‘FIA.’By the early 1980s, Jean had decided to leave his career as a co-driver behind, as he got into the good books of ‘Peugeot’s CEO, Jean Boillot. Boillot hired Jean as the director of racing for his company. When Jean joined the French car manufacturer, it was facing severe financial troubles and image problems. For the next 3 years, after taking the charge of the company as the director of racing, Jean worked hard and attempted to regain ‘Peugeot’s former glory.The company ended up winning two consecutive manufacturers’ ‘World Rally Championship’ titles, in 1985 and 1986. After working with ‘Peugeot’ for 7 more years, Jean decided to quit the company.He was hired by the CEO of ‘Scuderia Ferrari’ in 1993. He handled the post of the general manager of the racing division of the company and had four hundred personnel working under him. He also became the first non-Italian to achieve the hugely respected post in the company.Jean was hired at a time when ‘Ferrari’ had drifted away from its glorious days. They had not won any drivers’ championship since 1979, and Jean’s arrival was a ray of hope for them, considering his past achievements at ‘Peugeot.’Within a year of Jean’s arrival at the company as the general manager, ‘Ferrari’s driver Gerhard Berger won the ‘German Grand Prix,’ which was ‘Ferrari’s first victory in more than 4 years.Continue Reading Below By the end of the season, Jean offered record-holding racer Michael Schumacher to join ‘Ferrari.’ Michael accepted the offer. They ended up developing a strong personal friendship, too.In 1996, Michael won the ‘Spanish Grand Prix’ for ‘Ferrari,’ followed by the ‘German Grand Prix’ and the ‘Italian Grand Prix.’ Jean’s magic touch brought the company back on top again as ‘Ferrari’ ended up winning five consecutive ‘World Championships,’ in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. It was a record in the history of ‘Formula One.’In 2004, Jean was promoted to the post of CEO of ‘Ferrari.’ After winning 14 world titles and sealing 106 victories, Jean’s glorious career at ‘Ferrari’ came to an end in 2009.In April 2009, Jean started working as the president of ‘eSafety Aware!’ The company promoted smart vehicles. In July 2009, he officially announced then he would be running for the presidency of the ‘FIA.’The elections took place in October, and Jean took over the post as the president of the federation. In the elections that took place in 2013 and 2017, he retained his post as the president.Jean also serves as the member of the French ‘Académie des sports’ and ‘Académie des technologies’ and sits on the board of directors of a French luxury hotel and casino group named ‘Groupe Lucien Barrière’. He also serves as one of the administrators of the ‘Société des Amis du Musée d'Art moderne de la ville de Paris.’Personal LifeJean Todt has always been vocal about his admiration for Michael Schumacher. They have been friends since they both worked at ‘Ferrari.’ Even after quitting the company, they have remained close family friends.Jean started dating Malaysian–Chinese actor Michelle Yeoh in 2004. She has been part of films such as ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ and ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.’ Jean was one of the producers in Michelle’s 2011 film ‘The Lady.’Several of his opponents have claimed that Jean utilizes his wife’s glamor quotient, as he invites Michelle to many of the meetings where he himself is invited as the ‘FIA’ president. Jean has a son named Nicolas Todt from his earlier marriage. Nicolas co-owns the ‘GP2’ team ‘ART Grand Prix.’Facts About Jean Todt

Jean Todt is a passionate animal lover and has been actively involved in animal welfare causes, particularly in supporting the protection of endangered species.

He is known for his love of classic cars and has an impressive collection of vintage vehicles that he enjoys restoring and showcasing at various events.

Despite his busy schedule in the world of motorsport, Todt is a dedicated advocate for road safety and has worked tirelessly to promote safer driving practices globally.

He has a keen interest in art and has been known to support emerging artists through various initiatives, showcasing their work in his personal spaces.

Todt is a polyglot, fluent in several languages, which has enabled him to effectively communicate and build relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds in his professional and personal life.

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