David Thieme

David Thieme (1942 – August 12, 2025) was an American designer, son of the artist and designer Anthony Thieme. He was the owner of the Essex Overseas Petroleum Corporation, the company that sponsored Team Lotus, between 1979 and 1981, and also the official entry for Porsche in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Education and affairs Thieme studied industrial design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In 1973 he used the money that he had achieved with his work as a designer and founded Essex Overseas Petroleum Corporation, an oil-trading company. Based in a room of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco, the company was a one-man show, and was capable of making much money - some sources claim the firm was making about 70 million dollars of profit per year.

Motorsport connections Thieme's passion for racing cars, and the fact that he struck up a friendship with Colin Chapman in 1978, brought him to Formula 1. Between 1979 and 1981 he became first a major sponsor and ultimately the main sponsor of Team Lotus. With major team presentation parties in 1980 and 1981, in venues like the Royal Albert Hall, Thieme brought glamour and extravagance to motorsport, having even hired the Michelin starred chef Roger Vergé to cook for all his guests at the motorhomes.

In 1979 Essex, also sponsored the official Porsche entries for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, After two weeks of investigation he was released on bail, which according to sources was $150,000 and paid by Mansour Ojjeh. Subsequently the Essex empire collapsed and Thieme disappeared.

Personal life and death According to what was stated Thieme lived in Paris with his wife, the daughter of comedian André Pousse. Thieme died on August 12, 2025, at the age of 83.