Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Tamara Ecclestone on fame, family and fortune: 'Britain has a vicious attitude to anyone who has inherited anything'

Share this:

Tamara Ecclestone's privileged lifestyle comes at a price. The 29-year-old heiress — whose father, motor-racing mogul Bernie, has a fortune estimated at £2.3 billion — has said that the people of Britain frown upon those who have inherited monetary wealth.Speaking to the Evening Standard, Tamara said, "I think there is a vicious attitude towards anyone who has inherited anything, but I also think there's a vicious attitude towards people who became successful in an unconventional way — like my dad, who left school without A-levels. "In America it's more celebrated, the whole thing of the American dream — 'If you can do it, we can do it.' Everyone is happy for each other."

Tamara Ecclestone

PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Asked whether she thinks society is too unequal in light of the current economic hardship, she added, "I do think that. But I think even if that weren't the case, there'd be jealousy and envy. Maybe it's just human nature. "I don't think it stems from the economic climate. I think a lot of people have to bring other people down to make themselves feel good — and I think that's sad."

Tamara and her husband, Jay Rutland, are expecting their first baby, a little girl, next month. And Tamara told the newspaper she hopes her household will be as happy as hers was growing up. Her idyllic childhood perhaps explains why her parents' divorce in 2009 hit her so hard. "I think I found it harder than I would have done as a child, because I was so used to them being a family unit," she said of her father and mother, ex-Armani model Slavica.

Tamara Ecclestone and Jay© Photo: Twitter

Tamara with her husband Jay Rutland

Three years later, Bernie married Fabiana Flosi— and Tamara famously decided not to attend the wedding.

She says she is now on good terms with her dad's wife. "It took a long time to get to that point," she said. "Maybe as a child, you are selfish and want (your parents) to stay together, even though that's not the right thing for them. "But he's happy, my mum's happy. They're happier apart. And I would hate for my dad to be by himself — I think it's really nice to have someone that supports him. "Tamara and Jay, who met in January 2013, were engaged within a month and married last June, announced their pregnancy news exclusively in HELLO! in September. "I just feel so lucky," said Tamara after discovering she was expecting a 'honeymoon baby' with Jay, just four months after they tied the knot. "I never imagined this all happening so quickly. It's crazy how life works in such mysterious ways. Jay loves children and I'm really excited for the next phase of our relationship."

More Celebrity News

See more