Former Michael Schumacher manager ‘in complete shock’ after violent robbery
Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since a skiing accident in December 2013
Willi Weber, the former manager of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, says he is “in complete shock” after becoming the victim of a violent robbery at his villa in Germany.
Weber was by Schumacher’s side throughout the seven-time F1 world champion’s racing career, with the 83-year-old also working at different points with Schumacher’s brother Ralf and Audi F1 2026 driver Nico Hulkenberg.
Former Michael Schumacher manager robbed in Stuttgart villa
According to German publication Bild, Weber was recently ambushed by a group of three masked robbers at his villa in Stuttgart.
Weber, his wife and a housekeeper were tied to chairs and were threatened with a gun and other weapons.
Weber was beaten – leaving him with a black eye, bruises on his forehead and a cut on his nose – until he provided the code to a safe inside the villa.
The thieves stole cash, jewellery and watched worth hundreds of thousands before fleeing.
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A Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph 5980 (worth at least €100,000), a Rolex Day-Date II Platinum (€50,000) and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore (€25,000) were among the watches stolen in the theft.
The watches were among his most prized possessions, with Weber previously airing his intention to have a “coffin with drawers” upon his death to “take the watches with me as keepsakes.”
Weber eventually managed to break free and alert the police after more than two hours of being tied up.
He received medical treatment at the scene but did not require hospitalisation. His wife and housekeeper suffered minor bruising from being restrained.
Weber, who is now being protected by bodyguards, told Bild of the incident: “There were three of them. I was having dinner.
“They wanted the code for the safe. I refused to give it to them and then they kept punching me in the face.
“The police are here and talking to me. I feel terrible. I’m in complete shock.”
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Weber revealed that his daughter had dashed to the scene after the robbery, adding: “She’s helping me.”
He later said: “They knew what they were doing.
“Everything is gone! Even my watches. I must have been spied on for weeks. They came in and knew everything.”
Weber rejected suggestions that he may have inadvertently left himself vulnerable by publicly announcing the sale of his house.
He said: “No! Surely it must be possible to sell a house in this country without being robbed.
“What kind of country do we live in if you’re no longer safe in your own home?”
Video recordings of the robbery are currently being studied by the German police for clues about the identities of the perpetrators and their escape routes.
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