On May 27, 2024, Kim Vatanen, who was well-recognized as the son of the Finish rally driver-turned-politician Ari Vatenan and his wife Rita Vatenan, passed away.
The news of his demise circulated on the online portal after Seiska first reported it. Later, Kim’s beloved wife, Minna Helle, 51, confirmed it to the media.
Talking to Finland evening newspaper Iltalehti, Minna said, “It was a rapidly progressing illness. Otherwise, I have nothing to comment on. It is a private matter.”
Kim and his wife Minna had been married since January 19, 2019, and lived an incredible five years together as a husband and wife.
Kim Vatanen was a loving husband to his wife, Minna Helle, and a son, Finn
All his life, Kim Vatenen remained pretty loyal to his wife Minna, a lawyer (per Instagram), and son Finn Vatanen, a video creator. He often used to flaunt them on his social media handle.
The Vatanen family has lived an adventurous life together. In December 2023, they traveled the Arctic Sea in a boat during trout season, which is a huge undertaking. Later, Kim shared some glimpses of those moments, in which his wife and son appeared extremely tired.
In the caption, he had written, “From the look on my wife’s and son’s face, I guess it’s time to really end the sea trout season, way too soon.”
Now, he is no longer alive. But, the precious moment that Kim left to his family will hopefully help them cope with the tragedy.
Espoo native Kim Vatanen was the owner of Vatanen Experience
As per his LinkedIn account, Kim Vatanen owned the company Vatanen Experience, which basically organized winter trips to Lapland. In the company, he held the position of general manager and served as an event organizer and fishing guide.
Kim has over 20 years of experience discovering fishing spots in different parts of cities, especially in Scandinavia.
He initially pursued his career in golf, and later, he entered the motorsports world, following in his father’s footsteps. During that period, Kim was a manager for World Rally Championship star drivers Sebastien Ogier, Craig Breen, and Topi Heikkinen.
As per Kim, though he had a decent motorsports career, he never forgot his passion for fishing, which drove him to establish Veteran Experience.
Additional Experience
- According to reports, Kim was not Ari Vatanen’s biological child. He just moved in with Ari and his wife, Rita Vatanen.
- Kim was a brother to his three siblings, Ria, Tua, and Max. They grew up together in Finland and France.
- Kim Vatanen earned his degree from the Universities of Great Britain and France.
