Willi Weber is in shock after a robbery: the intruders tied up the 83-year-old and searched his villa for valuables.
Willi Weber, the former manager of Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, was the victim of a robbery in Stuttgart, according to the Bild newspaper. On Tuesday evening, unknown individuals broke into the 83-year-old’s villa, tied up Weber and other people present, and robbed them.
Weber confirmed the incident to the Bild newspaper and said he felt “awful” and was “completely in shock.” According to his own statements, the perpetrators also injured him: Weber spoke of a “black eye.”
The burglars left their mark in the house: “Several safes were broken into and emptied,” according to reports. However, there are no details yet about the contents of the safes or any sums of money or items that may have been stolen—the police are investigating.
Willi Weber as manager and businessman
Weber is best known in Germany as Schumacher’s manager: from the late 1980s, he looked after the man who would go on to become a seven-time Formula 1 world champion and negotiated his move from Benetton to Ferrari, among other things.
Immediately before his Formula 1 comeback with Mercedes in the 2010 season, Schumacher decided to make a change in his management team: Weber was replaced by Schumacher’s former media advisor, Sabine Kehm.
However, Weber did not only have Schumacher as a client over the years: he also managed his brother Ralf Schumacher, Nico Hülkenberg, Timo Scheider, and, at times, Naomi Campbell, among others. At the same time, Weber was active as a businessman, trading in used cars. He also owns several hotels and restaurants. For example, he once owned a restaurant in the Stuttgart TV tower.
Weber’s nickname “Mister 20 Percent” comes from his collaboration with Michael Schumacher: as his driver manager in the early years, he is said to have profited from 20 percent of his client’s earnings.
