Bernie Ecclestone Is Back
The head of Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone, was in a precarious situation. He was accused of bribing a German banker to ensure that a large part of Formula 1 would be bought by a company he favored. According to the trial, the bribe was $45 million.
The banker was condemned to eight years in prison, and Bernie's trial has been ongoing for the last few weeks. If he was found guilty, he could have received as much as 15 years of jail time.
However, a loophole in the German laws allowed him to come out unscathed: by paying the German authorities a sufficient amount of money, it would seem that the accusation can be eliminated.
Ecclestone had to pay $100 million, the largest penalty ever received by the German court.
So he essentially bribed his way out of a trial for bribery.
This is more proof that the rich don't have to follow the same laws as the common man.