Kevin Wheatcroft
Kevin Wheatcroft | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Parent(s) | Tom Wheatcroft Helena Morgenstern |
Kevin Wheatcroft (born 1959) is a British businessman and motor sport entrepreneur. He owns The Wheatcroft Collection, which is thought to be the largest private collection of military vehicles in the world.
Early life
[edit]Born in 1959, Kevin Wheatcroft is one of seven children of the building contractor and motor-racing entrepreneur Tom Wheatcroft and his German wife Helena "Lenchen" Morgenstern.[1][2] When his father died in 2009, Kevin inherited his entire estate and "no longer speaks to his siblings".[3]
Wheatcroft left school at the age of 16, working first for a Leicestershire engineering firm, before joining his father's construction company.[3]
Career
[edit]
In 2002, Kevin Wheatcroft and Donington Park Racing established the Wheatcroft Trophy in memory of his father, a lifelong motorsport enthusiast, team owner, constructor, and the owner of the Donington Park motor racing circuit and the Donington Grand Prix Collection. The trophy is awarded annually to someone who has made a significant contribution to the world of motorsport.[4][5]
Wheatcroft is the executive chairman of Donington Park Racing and Donington Park Leisure Limited.[6]
According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2020 his net worth was estimated at £132 million.[7]
German World War II memorabilia collection
[edit]The Wheatcroft Collection is believed to include the world's largest collection of German World War II memorabilia. Its value has been estimated at £100 million.[3] Wheatcroft acquired his first item at age five, a bullet-marked SS storm trooper's helmet, which he had asked his parents to give him for his birthday. At age 15, he bought three Second World War Jeeps with money given to him by his grandmother for his birthday. He restored them and sold them at a profit, using the money to buy more vehicles and a tank. Wheatcroft sleeps in a bed once owned by Adolf Hitler but says "I've changed the mattress".[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "See who's made The Leicestershire Rich List 2013". Leicester Mercury. 5 November 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ "Tom Wheatcroft obituary". Daily Telegraph. 17 November 2009. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d Alex Preston (24 June 2015). "The man who sleeps in Hitler's bed". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ "2011 Tom Wheatcroft Trophy Awarded to Aston Martin Chairman David Richards". Donington. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ^ "Frank Williams awarded the Tom Wheatcroft trophy". Pitpass. 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ^ "Executive Profile: Kevin Wheatcroft". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 24 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ Times, The Sunday. "Rich List 2020: profiles 906‑982=". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.