Emerson Fittipaldi was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the son of Wilson Fittipaldi, a famous Brazilian motorsport journalist and commentator, and began his professional automobile racing career on the Formula One circuit in 1970. Automobile racing had been Emerson's childhood dream and he entered his first race on the Formula One circuit on July 19, 1970 for Team Lotus. In 1972, at age 25, Emerson experienced one of his two greatest thrills in automobile racing as he won the Formula One points title and became the youngest driving champion in F-1 history; and, in 1974, won the F-1 title again before he made the transition to Indy Car racing. Emerson accumulated fourteen F-1 victories over 11 seasons. Emerson retired from driving in 1980, but maintained an interest in automobile racing as an owner.

Though he returned to driving, joining the Indy Car circuit in 1984, without the recognition he had earned in the early 70s on the Formula One circuit, Emerson was ranked sixth in the PPG Cup standings in only his second year in Indy racing. In 1989, Emerson experienced his second greatest racing thrill when he won the Indy 500 and realized a boyhood dream and became the first non-American since 1916 to win the Indy Car points title as he recorded five Indy victories. Emerson became the first driver to win more than $1 million ($1,001,604) for a single victory and earn over $2 million ($2,166,078) in prize money in a single season. In 1993, Emerson won his second Indy 500. He accumulated 22 victories (having earned the pole position for 17 races) in 12 years in Indy Car racing. Emerson is only one of three drivers in racing car history to have won both Indy and Formula points titles.

Emerson is more than just a race car driver. He owns several businesses including a 500,000 acre orange tree plantation in his native country of Brazil and exports orange concentrate to the United States, Europe and Asia. He also has a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Brazil, is a partner in Hugo Boss fashion retailers of Brazil and owns Fittipaldi Motor Accessories offering personalized fashion and motoring items. Emerson and his wife Teresa have three daughters and two sons and share time between residences in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Key Biscayne, Florida.