Life in the Fast Lane
By Angie Caple '14,'15
Published Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015
Patrick-Otto Madsen ’97 has deemed himself as an extremely successful racer throughout the country, and has been whizzing by the competition in his Porsche 911 Cup Car. Originally born in Haiti, Patrick-Otto grew up in Washington D.C., and eventually discovered that he wished to be closer to his hometown and family members. When going through the process of selecting options for college, sunny and beautiful south Florida happened to be on the top of his list. He remembers that Lynn University provided a great campus. Lynn was very lucky to have Patrick as a student, and he has been flourishing with a number of business ventures ever since graduation.
After receiving his Bachelors in International Business, Patrick made the choice to move back to Haiti to work in the family business which was a Brewery in Haiti. While working diligently to grow the business, Patrick-Otto established a steadfast work ethic, and had to be creative with the resources within Haiti’s borders. When the earthquake hit in 2010, Patrick and his family were very blessed to have survived. He and his family was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time when the earthquake struck. With little to no damage to his possessions, Patrick chose to send his family to Boca Raton in order for him to solely focus on bringing the brewery back to life. While this was seen as a humbling experience in Patrick’s eyes, he and his team were able to get the business running in a matter of 2-3 months. Two years later, Patrick-Otto and the other local owners decided to sell the brewery to Heineken in 2012. He subsequently spends most of his time in the United States.
At this point in his life, he was able to spend more time with his family and pursue his true passion; racing. Patrick then teamed up with his uncle who runs “ANSA MOTORSPORTS” out of Miami FL. He was traveling all over the country and completed two full seasons of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama, a prestigious one-make development series. Patrick was able to win the Driver Gold Cup Class Championship in his second year. The learning curve was steep as there is a heavy amount of dedication needed in order to be successful; and clearly Patrick has that drive. Patrick competes in some of the most iconic road course races in North America and Canada, which requires not only the physical requirements, but the support of coaches, engineers, and mechanics.
Not only does Patrick enjoy his profession, but he happens to be undeniably talented in what he does. This craft is more than just gunning the gas pedal but it requires the proper preparation and focus; something that isn’t for the fainthearted. Patrick-Otto decided to take the 2015 season off, in order spend more time with his family and to focus in helping to expand his uncle’s business. He has high hopes for the future. Although he plans to continue racing, he also will use all his business acumen to expand his talents and get more involved on the business side of racing. Patrick-Otto still goes to Haiti on a regular basis with his family, a place where he still considers his home. He thinks that although Haiti has had a turbulent past and remains a very poor country, he believes Haiti remains a great place to invest. Keep an eye out for Patrick-Otto Madsen, because he is truly living his life in the fast lane.