Sarah Ferguson could be linked with a multi-million pound fortune following the death of her long-time friend and former partner, racing entrepreneur Paddy McNally.
The Formula One hospitality pioneer, who died aged 88 after a long illness, was reported to have built a fortune estimated at around £600m.
McNally and Ferguson shared a close relationship for decades, with reports suggesting he continued to support her through some of the most difficult periods of her life.
The former Duchess of York is said to have been living in McNally’s £15million Swiss chalet in Verbier after she and her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor left the Royal Lodge earlier this year.
“Paddy always looked after Sarah and at times over the last four decades she needed a lot of care,” a source said. The sun.
“He never left her in life and even in his last days he allowed her a safe haven in his home in Verbier.”
Ferguson and McNally first met before her marriage to Prince Andrew, when she worked as a nanny for his two sons following the death of his wife, Anne Downing.
The pair later began a romantic relationship, which ended after several years when McNally did not propose following an ultimatum from Ferguson at the Italian Grand Prix.
Despite their split, the pair remained close, with Ferguson previously describing McNally as a trusted adviser and even a “father figure” who offered guidance throughout his life.
In a biography of Andrew, author Andrew Lownie quoted Ferguson, reflecting on McNally’s influence, saying, “He taught me so much about life.
Whenever I wanted advice, I turned to him because he was so worldly wise. He seemed to have seen and done everything.”
