Jean Todt

Jean 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 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.

Jean 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.