Walter Wolf

Walter Wolf ( born October 5, 1939 in Liebenau ) is an Austrian- Canadian businessman and former racing team owner.

Life

Walter Wolf came in Styria, the son of a Swabian mason from Reutlingen to the world. His childhood was marked by the privations of the postwar period - his parents were almost penniless. Wolf financed his college career with the sale of old metal parts themselves in 1960, at the age of 21, he decided to emigrate to Canada. In Canada, initially Wolf made ​​athletic career: In 1964, he participated as part of the Canadian downhill team at the Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck. In addition, Wolf started a career as a building contractor in order then to get into the oil business. There he delivered initially drill bits for oil rigs and employed at times over 300 divers to search for new oil reserves. Later he got in on the sale of crude oil, which he - favored by the oil crisis in 1973 and 1974 - earning substantial wealth. Wolf cultivated excellent relations with the Arab (oil ) economy and maintained close contacts with political sizes worldwide.

Attention was Wolf through his involvement in Formula 1, the mid-seventies, when he in 1976 under funded team of enthusiasts Frank Williams bought out and renamed Walter Wolf Racing. Williams founded his team then new, while Wolf from 1977 participated with the South African Jody Scheckter at the Formula 1 World Championship. The team was able to bang: Scheckter won equal to the first Grand Prix of the young racing team in Argentina. After two more wins and some podiums Scheckter became vice champion behind the Austrian Niki Lauda.

After the team at this early success was not able, Wolf lost interest in his "toy" and sold his team was supported at the two times Brazilian champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who is with his own team Copersucar merged to the advantages of the location England to secure.

The withdrawal from motorsport meant for Wolf also the withdrawal from public life. His name appeared only in 2005 that again in the media - in the context of an indictment against him for a possible credit fraud totaling nearly 900,000 euros, of which he was acquitted.

In 2012, negotiated against Wolf in connection with bribes at the Vienna Regional Court as well as in Slovenia as the main accused.

Trivia

The name of the Austro - Canadian is the godfather of the Croatian cigarette brand Walter Wolf.