Racing with Rich Energy

Formula One has long maintained a glitzy aura that masks dark and strange goings-on in the background. But with the 2019 season came a force louder than Formula One could dream of muffling: William Storey, the founder of British energy drink startup Rich Energy. Storey became a multimillion-dollar sponsor of the Haas Formula One team a year after records showed Rich Energy having a mere $770 in the bank. He equated his doubters to moon-landing truthers and publicly mocked both the Haas team and the entities winning legal disputes against him. But where were actual cans of Rich Energy, and did the supposed sponsorship funds exist? In the six months between Storey's first race as a Formula One sponsor and his very public exit, he stole the spotlight with a loud mouth and an active Twitter account. Haas team boss Guenther Steiner once described the Rich Energy news cycle as: "I'm getting sick of answering these stupid fucking questions on a race weekend. I've never seen any fucking thing like this." No one else had, either. This book uncovers the complete, bizarre story.

Formula One is known for glitz and glamour, but lurking in the background are dark, and sometimes deeply strange, goings on: sex scandals with prison camp themes, Nigerian prince scams, protests of its grands prix in countries known for their human rights violations, tax evasion--the list goes on. These things often stay in the background, thanks to efforts by the series to maintain an opulent aura. But with the 2019 season came a force louder than Formula One could dream of muffling: William Storey, the founder of British startup Rich Energy. Storey became a multimillion-dollar sponsor of the Haas Formula One Team a year after records showed Rich Energy having a mere $770 in the bank, but that didn't matter. Storey equated his doubters to moon-landing truthers and publicly mocked entities winning legal disputes against him. In the six months between Storey's first race as a Formula One sponsor and his very public exit, he became the most visible part of the world's most visible racing series, easily tearing down its red-carpet facades with a loud mouth and an active Twitter account. Haas team boss Guenther Steiner described the Rich Energy news cycle as: I'm getting sick of answering these stupid fucking questions on a race weekend. I've never seen any fucking thing like this. This book is the fascinating, bizarre, and complete story.