Michiel Mol
Encyclopedia
Michiel Mol is a Dutch
businessman and the director of the Force India
(formerly Spyker F1
) Formula One
team.
. Jan Mol's fortune is currently estimated at around $500m.
After obtaining a MSc
degree in Computer Science
from Leiden University
, Michiel himself went into the software business. In 1993 he set up Lost Boys with several of his friends, developing software for the CD-ROM
market. With the rapid growth of the internet
, the company then started making internet software as well as moving into game development. Mol had his first venture into Formula One
in 1999, when he and his company sponsored driver Jos Verstappen
. Lost Boys then merged with Swedish
company IconMedialab.
Mol remained on the board and kept the Lost Boys Games division, before establishing a new company called Media Republic, aiming to use new technology to market products. Lost Boys Games was transformed into Guerrilla Games
, notable for developing the PlayStation 2
game Killzone
, during 2004 and a year later it was sold to the Sony Company
.
, after Verstappen left Formula One, and led a group of investors that put together a deal to buy into Spyker Cars
and take over the Midland F1 team. Mol is now a major shareholder in Spyker and in September 2006 was appointed as F1 director of Spyker for a period of four years.
On 14 August 2007, Michiel Mol left Spyker Cars as CEO amid speculation that it and Spyker F1 would be separated due to financial problems. In October 2007 Spyker F1
was sold to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya
and renamed Force India
. Mol remains as director and co-owner.
and well-known TV personality.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
businessman and the director of the Force India
Force India
Sahara Force India Formula One Team, the trading name of Force India Formula One Team Limited, is a Formula One racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom which currently holds an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 2007 when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and...
(formerly Spyker F1
Spyker F1
Spyker F1 Team was a Formula One team that competed in the 2007 Formula One World Championship, and was created by Spyker Cars after their buyout of the short-lived Midland F1 team...
) Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team.
Early life and career
Michiel Mol grew up with a wealthy family. His father, Jan Mol, set up his own software company in 1966 called Volmac; the company itself turned out to be a huge success and Jan Mol sold it in 1992 to CAP GeminiCapgemini
Capgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...
. Jan Mol's fortune is currently estimated at around $500m.
After obtaining a MSc
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
from Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
, Michiel himself went into the software business. In 1993 he set up Lost Boys with several of his friends, developing software for the CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
market. With the rapid growth of the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, the company then started making internet software as well as moving into game development. Mol had his first venture into Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
in 1999, when he and his company sponsored driver Jos Verstappen
Jos Verstappen
Johannes Franciscus "Jos" Verstappen nicknamed "Jos the Boss" is a Dutch racing driver. He is the most successful Dutch Formula One driver, and has also won races in A1 Grand Prix and Le Mans Series LMP2 races...
. Lost Boys then merged with Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
company IconMedialab.
Mol remained on the board and kept the Lost Boys Games division, before establishing a new company called Media Republic, aiming to use new technology to market products. Lost Boys Games was transformed into Guerrilla Games
Guerrilla Games
Guerrilla Games is a first party video game developer and wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment. The company is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, currently employs approximately 150 individuals, and is headed by managing director Hermen Hulst and development director Arjan...
, notable for developing the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
game Killzone
Killzone
Killzone is a first-person shooter exclusive to the PlayStation 2 game console, developed by Netherlands-based Guerrilla Games and released on November 2, 2004 in North America. A sequel, Killzone: Liberation was released on the PlayStation Portable and another followup, Killzone 2 was released for...
, during 2004 and a year later it was sold to the Sony Company
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
.
Spyker Formula 1
Mol later became a supporter of Christijan AlbersChristijan Albers
Christijan Albers is a Dutch racing driver. After success in the DTM he drove in Formula One from until the 2007 British Grand Prix, shortly after which he was dropped by his Spyker F1 team...
, after Verstappen left Formula One, and led a group of investors that put together a deal to buy into Spyker Cars
Spyker Cars
Spyker Cars is a Dutch sports car marque. The modern Spyker Cars only has the legal right to the brand name. The company's motto is "Nulla tenaci invia est via", which is Latin for "For the tenacious, no road is impassable". The marque's logo displays the piston engine of an airplane, a reference...
and take over the Midland F1 team. Mol is now a major shareholder in Spyker and in September 2006 was appointed as F1 director of Spyker for a period of four years.
On 14 August 2007, Michiel Mol left Spyker Cars as CEO amid speculation that it and Spyker F1 would be separated due to financial problems. In October 2007 Spyker F1
Spyker F1
Spyker F1 Team was a Formula One team that competed in the 2007 Formula One World Championship, and was created by Spyker Cars after their buyout of the short-lived Midland F1 team...
was sold to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya
Vijay Mallya is an Indian liquor and airline baron. The son of industrialist Vittal Mallya, he is the chairman of the United Breweries Group and Kingfisher Airlines. His United Spirits is world's second largest liquor maker, by volume...
and renamed Force India
Force India
Sahara Force India Formula One Team, the trading name of Force India Formula One Team Limited, is a Formula One racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom which currently holds an Indian licence. The team was formed in October 2007 when a consortium led by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya and...
. Mol remains as director and co-owner.
Space Expedition Curaçao
Mol is a co-founder of Space Expedition Curaçao (SXC), which intends to offer suborbital space tourism flights and scientific research missions out of Space Port Curaçao.Personal life
In July 2004, Mol married Paulien Huizinga, former Miss Universe Netherlands and now a Dutch TV personality. They lived together in Blaricum. Together they have a daughter and a son. On 3 August 2011 it was announced that Huizinga and Mol will divorce after a marriage of seven years. Mol is currently seeing Marlous Mens, a younger daughter of Harry Mens, a Dutch real estate brokerReal estate broker
A real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate/real property and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy...
and well-known TV personality.