Ever since Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the richest Britishers, has expressed a desire to buy the dwindling Manchester United, fans have been wondering if he has a pocket deep enough to compete with the current powerhouses. Ratcliffe is estimated worth $16.3bn – which is a lot but not good enough for even the three richest Premier League owners.
When Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003/04, he was the richest owner in England. By the time he left – last year – he was down to No. 3. The money pumped from countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia has changed the entire equation in the league. In terms of recruitment, very few clubs across the world can match the money they splash on their projects.
Let’s take a look at nine of the richest Premier League owners:
Chelsea – Todd Boehly (£3.73bn)
Todd Boehly’s led consortium acquired Chelsea FC from the Russian billionaire Abramovic earlier this year. While the consortium – Boehly, Mark Walter, and Hansjorg Wyss – is valued at over £10 billion, Boehly’s personal fortune is worth £3.73bn, which makes him the ninth richest owner in the Premier League.
Manchester United – Glazer family (£3.90bn)
The Glazer family, led by Malcolm Glazer, completed the acquisition of Manchester United in 2005. While the first seven years under the new owners proved to be a smooth ride for the club, the years following it, especially after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, have been full of disappointment. The fans abhor them for their financial mismanagement.
Tottenham – Joe Lewis (£4.31bn)
Joe Lewis owns the majority stake in the London-based Tottenham Hotspurs. Lewis, as per The Sunday Times Rich List, is estimated at around £4.31 billion. Popularly known as ‘The Boxer’, Lewis rarely makes a public appearance, and the day-to-day affair of the club is handled by Daniel Levy.
Crystal Palace – Josh Harris (£4.56bn)
Josh Harris has an 18% stake in Crystal Palace. With a net worth of over £4.56bn, Harris is the sixth richest club owner in the Premier League. Harris has earned a massive share of his fortune from Apollo Global Management, an investment firm he co-founded in 1990, and currently boasts an annual turnover of £3bn.
Aston Villa – Nassef Sawiris (£6.22bn)
Nassef Sawiris is an Egyptian billionaire and is also the fourth richest African in the world. He completed the takeover of Aston Villa four years ago through his investment firm NSWE, a company he co-founded with the American business magnate Wes Adens.
Fulham – Shahid Khan (£6.31bn)
Shahid Khan, the Pakistani-American billionaire who is an engineer by profession, bought Fulham from Mohamed Al Fayed. Shahid also owns the NFL club Jacksonville Jaguars, and his wealth is estimated at over £6 billion.
Arsenal – Stan Kroenke (£8.88bn)
With a net worth of £8.88bn, Stan Kroenke is the third richest owner in the Premier League. A real estate mogul who takes a keen interest in sports, Kroenke is the principal owner of Arsenal in the Premier League, Los Angeles Rams in NFL, and Denver Nuggets in the NBA.
Manchester City – Sheikh Mansour (£14.6bn)
Sheikh Mansour is one of the wealthiest owners of the football club. Under his ownership, Manchester City has become a force to reckon with, claiming the highest number of Premier League titles in the last decade or so. Mansour is currently the deputy prime minister of the UAE, and has built his fortune from a petroleum company.
Newcastle United – Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (£320bn)
Even if you add up the net worth of all the owners listed above, it will not match even one-fourth of the net worth of Newcastle United’s new owners – the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The acquisition, which happened last year, was a subject of controversy, as many blamed them for using sports to wash their abysmal human rights record in the nation.
Lead Image: Manchesteronics/Twitter
