Details of Michael Schumacher’s condition and medical care have been shrouded in mystery for a decade (Image: DPA/AFP via Getty Images)
Michael Schumacher built an astonishing amount of wealth thanks to his legendary career. After years of living in privacy following his , the German racing hero was recently seen publicly for the first time in over a decade.
was present at his daughter’s wedding, much to the delight of his fans who have been desperately awaiting updates on his health for years. The icon’s illustrious F1 career spanned from 1991 to 2006, during which he raced for Benetton and , before making a comeback to drive for between 2010 and 2012. He clinched the world championship a record seven times – a feat only equalled by .
But tragedy would befall Schumacher when, only a year after retiring, in December 2013, he sustained serious head injuries during a family skiing holiday in the French Alps, hitting a boulder just metres off-piste and being thrown head-first into another rock. He was put in a medically induced coma for six months before regaining consciousness in June 2014 and being taken home for further recovery later that year.
Michael Schumacher suffered a devastating brain injury as a result of a skiing accident in 2013 (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
The 55-year-old sporting hero suffered brain damage and has since stayed out of the public eye, with the exception of his daughter Gina-Marie’s wedding last Saturday. Gina tied the knot with her partner Iain Bethke at the family’s £27million villa in Majorca, where guests were reportedly allowed to see Schumacher but were asked to leave their mobile phones at the door.
Schumacher’s wife Corinna bought the luxurious villa on the Balearic Island back in 2018. Reports claim it was purchased off legendary Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, spanning 160,000 square feet.
Rumours in 2018 hinted that the Schumachers were making a permanent switch to their island abode, a claim swiftly dismissed by Corinna herself. Those murmurings gained weight again in 2020 after Elisabetta Gregoraci – the ex-wife of Schumacher’s former boss at Benetton Flavio Briatore – made similar comments.
Michael Schumacher was seen publicly for the first time since his accident at his luxury villa in Majorca, Spain (Image: SOLARPIX.COM)
“Michael doesn’t speak, he communicates with his eyes,” revealed Gregoraci on the Italian version of Big Brother. “They moved to Spain and his wife has set up a hospital in that house. Only three people can visit him and I know who they are.”
Having been one of the few athletes to surpass the billion-dollar earnings mark, Schumacher amassed between £60m and £76m annually during his heyday thanks to his racing prowess and lucrative deals with brands such as Shell. The icon is understood to be worth around $600m (£456m) today – and he and his wife own an enviable real estate portfolio that extends beyond Majorca.
In the wake of his tragedy, Michael and Corinna’s primary retreat was their lavish £50m mansion nestled in Gland, Switzerland. The exquisite Swiss sanctuary graces the shores of Lake Geneva, covering over 15 acres.
Michael Schumacher’s primary residence is Villa La Reserve located in Gland, Switzerland, and overlooking Lake Geneva (Image: FOTOSPORTS INTERNATIONAL)
The family had the estate custom-built in 2007 near Nyon in the French canton of Vaud. The four-storey complex, named Villa La Reserve, offers stunning views of the Swiss Alps and is hidden behind dense forestry and specially built fencing.
Since 2014, the two-time father has been receiving ongoing medical treatment at his home. Although the full extent of his injuries remains undisclosed, he has not been photographed since his accident.
The Schumacher family also owns an impressive horse ranch just north of Gordonville, Texas, due to Michael and Corinna’s love for horses. Michael purchased the ranch in 2012 as a retreat from the fame and adulation he was swarmed with throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
Corinna and Michael’s love of horses led them to buy a huge ranch in the north of Texas (Image: Rex)
The property remained untouched for nearly two decades before the Schumachers moved in, and was once home to wandering deer and bobcats. The aim was to create a second home for their family, with their son Mick – a former F1 driver for Haas – still using it as an escape from reality.
Inside is a state-of-the-art facility for raising and breeding horses, owned by Mick’s mother Corinna, where his sister Gina, a professional equestrian, also trains. Mick has his fair share of fun on the ranch, too, often racing off-road in a circuit dug into the soil in the far corner of the 400-plus-acre property his family owns.
“It’s a retreat, a spot where I can do whatever I want,” Mick told ESPN. “Not having the feeling that I’m observed or looked at. I just come here to enjoy my time.
“We’re in the middle of nowhere here, basically. If I go shopping here no one notices. Even if I go into Dallas nobody really recognises me. So I’m definitely happier around here.”