According to statistics, there has never been a better driver than Michael Schumacher in the history of Formula One. The German, who has differing opinions on his status due to a somewhat controversial racing style, has won seven Formula 1 world championship titles and ninety-one Grand Prix, the most of any driver in history. He achieved most of his success as a member of the Ferrari team, having previously raced for the Jordan Grand Prix and Benetton Formula One teams.
Join us as we take a look at the life of the multiple Formula 1 record holder, what he was able to earn during his time in the sport as well as all the details regarding his medical condition.
Youth and career
Michael Schumacher was born on January 3, 1969, in Hürth, West Germany, to Elisabeth and Rolf Schumacher. Very young, his father offered a future go-kart to the future Formula 1 world champion.
At the age of six, after Schumacher’s accident on a lamp post in the street, his parents enrolled him in a karting club where he was the youngest member. His father, who worked in masonry, took on a second job as a go-kart repairer to support his son’s dreams. Thanks to his work, he was able to use scrapped parts to make a kart for his son, which allowed him to win his first championship title. The family was then able to get help from local businessmen, as Michael continued to raise his profile, as he was supposed to be above his peers.
Michael Schumacher went on to win numerous junior and senior kart championships, in Germany and Europe, before leaving school to become a mechanic in 1987. In 1988 he was driving his first single-seater racing championship before joining Formula Three in 1989. The following year, Schumacher showed he was in a league of his own by winning the German Formula 3 series title and the Macau Grand Prix. He then competed in the World Sports Prototype Championship between 1990 and early 1991, before making his Formula 1 debut with the Jordan-Ford team at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991 replacing driver Bertrand Gachot. and the rest became history.
Michael Schumacher net worth
Michael Schumacher amassed a huge amount of wealth from his time as a Formula One racing driver. At the height of his career he was one of the highest paid athletes in the world and even when he stopped racing , he reportedly made up to $50 million a year from his endorsements. One such deal was with the Shell Oil Company, which reportedly paid him $10 million a year to wear a beanie emblazoned with the company logo during his public appearances.
So what exactly is Schumacher worth? Well, according to reliable sources, his net worth is estimated at $800 million. Forbes further reports that the German has earned a billion dollars during his career.
Health Status: What We Know So Far
Michael Schumacher and his family were known to enjoy holidays and skiing in the French Alps. On December 29, 2013, during his last skiing holiday, Schumacher and his son Mick were descending the Combe de Saulire at the foot of the Dent de Burgin mountain, above the resort of Méribel in the French Alps, at the time of his fall. and hit his head on a rock. Despite wearing a ski helmet, Schumacher suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was immediately airlifted to hospital where he underwent two surgeries and was put into a medically induced coma to help him recover.
Schumacher lay in a coma for nearly six months until doctors finally pulled him out of a medically induced coma. On June 16, 2014, he was discharged from Grenoble Hospital in France to continue his rehabilitation at the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland. He spent approximately three months there until moving to his home on September 9, 2014, where he continues to receive medical treatment and private rehabilitation.
The Schumacher family have since opted to keep details of his medical condition private, refusing to discuss it in public as they believe it is not a public matter. The former racing driver has not been seen in public since, although there have been numerous unconfirmed reports. In November 2014, Michael Schumacher was reportedly paralyzed and in a wheelchair. He is also said to have memory and speech problems. In September 2016, Schumacher’s lawyer revealed in a German court that his client could not walk due to false reports that he could “walk a few steps”.
