Sarah Ferguson's Financial Woes May Finally Be Coming to an End — and She Has an Old Flame to Thank
Following his death at age 88, mutual friends speculate that Sarah Ferguson's ex, Paddy McNally, may have left her a substantial inheritance.
Before marrying Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and starting a family with him, Sarah Ferguson was romantically involved with businessman Paddy McNally, the Formula One tycoon credited with transforming its corporate hospitality industry. Initially hired as a nanny for his two sons, she reportedly dated him for around 5 years before meeting Andrew in 1985. Following McNally's death on July 22 at age 88, mutual friends speculate that the multimillionaire may have left his former girlfriend a substantial inheritance, easing her long-rumored financial woes.
In an article for the Daily Mail, royal editor Caroline Graham claimed to have spoken to several people familiar with Ferguson and McNally's relationship. At the time of his death, McNally was worth more than $800 million, making him the 238th richest man in Britain. Although their relationship ended in 1985, he and Ferguson remained close friends for more than four decades, with the businessman reportedly well aware of her alleged financial troubles. One of her associates told Graham that, following her fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, McNally allowed Fergie to stay in his $34 million chalet, nicknamed the 'Cocaine Castle,' "because he always wanted to help her."
The associate further said, "The first question everyone thought was, 'Is Paddy going to bail her [Ferguson] out for good?' He was fiercely loyal to her throughout her scandals, and there were many...If he's left her life-changing money, wouldn't that be something?" Another source who ran in the same social circle as the former Duchess added, "No one would be surprised if he's [McNally] left her [Ferguson] a house and cash, but you can bet it's in a private trust with a monthly income. He'd never give her a lump sum because he knows how easily she'd blow through it."
Moreover, Graham also wrote that McNally's close friend, James Hunt, told her that Ferguson and McNally's relationship ended as she allegedly gave him an ultimatum to marry her or leave her. That same year, McNally had reportedly driven her to Windsor Castle, where she met the former Prince Andrew and hit it off. An unnamed source chimed, "If Paddy had married her [Ferguson], there would have been no Andrew. I think Fergie rebounded into that relationship and, after playing second fiddle to Paddy for so long, I think she loved being the center of attention, with everything marrying a Prince brought her. She bought into the fairytale which, of course, turned into a nightmare."
While it is highly unlikely that McNally's assets will ever be made public, it is reportedly tied up in private Swiss trusts to shield the eventual benefactors of his vast estate. An insider stressed, "Of course he's [McNally] going to look after Fergie. They were in each other's lives for longer than they were ever married to their spouses. He promised to always take care of her and he will."
