Paddy McNally, the Formula One advertising tycoon once described as Sarah Ferguson's "first great love," has died aged 88 after a prolonged illness, leaving behind an estimated £600 million fortune and a swirl of speculation about whether the Duchess of York will receive a share.

McNally, born in Gravesend, Kent, built his wealth through Allsport Management, a hospitality and advertising business that cornered the trackside branding market at Grand Prix circuits. He sold the company in 2006 for £262 million (The Sun). At the time of his death, his estate was thought to be worth around £600 million.

The inheritance question originates with a report in The Sun on July 23, which headlined its story "Fergie's F1 tycoon ex never abandoned cash-strapped royal" and suggested Ferguson could receive a financial windfall. The following day, July 24, The Telegraph ran a piece headlined "The F1 tycoon whose death could solve Sarah Ferguson's money problems," describing McNally as "one of Sarah Ferguson's closest friends" and reporting that he is rumoured to have left her a portion of his estate. On July 26, Hello! magazine published its own analysis, stating that Ferguson "could find herself in possession of her ex-boyfriend's £600 million fortune" but noting it is "currently unclear" whether she "will receive the amount as cash or in property" (Hello!). Hello! did not attribute the core inheritance claim to a named source beyond its own reporting.

The relationship between the two stretches back to the early 1980s. Ferguson and McNally dated for several years before her marriage to Prince Andrew in 1986. They met when she worked as a nanny for his two sons, Sean and Rollo, following the death of his wife, Anne Downing. The Sun has called McNally Ferguson's "first great love." By The Telegraph's account, he remained "one of Sarah Ferguson's closest friends" long after the romance ended.

According to reports cited by Hello!, McNally allowed Ferguson to stay at his £15 million chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, after she and Prince Andrew were evicted from Royal Lodge. A source quoted by The Sun, and relayed through Hello!, said "Paddy always looked after Sarah" and that he "allowed her safe sanctuary at his home in Verbier." That quote rests on an unnamed source speaking to The Sun; no named party has confirmed the arrangement on the record.

No will has been made public. No household, legal representative, or family member has issued a confirmed statement detailing the distribution of McNally's estate. The £600 million figure, the inheritance rumour, and the Verbier chalet arrangement all rest on press reporting rather than confirmed legal documents.

What gives the story its traction is the collision of a very large number with a familiar name. Ferguson's finances have been the subject of public scrutiny for decades, from commercial deals to debt disclosures. A rumoured bequest from a long-time friend — one whose wealth came from a very different world of pit lanes and perimeter fencing — lands as both a human story and a financial one.

For now, the record is this: McNally has died, his estate is substantial, and what Ferguson may or may not receive from it has not been confirmed by any party authorised to say.