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Business News: Richard Mille Owner Files Legal Action Against Liberty Media And COTA After $750,000 Watch Stolen At F1 Race
A Texas businessman filed legal action against Liberty Media and the operators of the Formula 1 racetrack in Austin, Circuit of the Americas (COTA), alleging they failed to protect patrons from a criminal gang targeting high-profile watches at the F1 Grand Prix of the United States. The Richard Mille watch that was allegedly stolen by a gang at the F1 race in Austin.(Photo courtesy of Nicholas Saady, plaintiff's lawyer) Dean Whitlock alleges his Richard Mille RM 65-01 Split-Seconds Chronograph "LeBron James" was forcibly taken from his wrist by a group of thieves at the F1 race in October 2025. The theft occurred the day after another racegoer had their Richard Mille watch stolen by the same group of thieves at the event, the lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Travis County, Texas, alleges. A spokesperson for Formula 1, the racing series controlled by Liberty Media Corporation, declined to comment. Media representatives of the Circuit Of The Americas LLC did not respond to a request for comment. The companies have yet to respond to the lawsuit, which seeks "more than $200,000 but not more than $1,000,000" in damages and states that it will cost approximately $750,000 to replace the specific timepiece, according to secondary market values. The case underscores the rising number of targeted luxury watch thefts in some regions. It raises questions as to who is responsible for personal security when someone wears a wristwatch valued at more than half a million dollars...