It's no secret that football has become a playground for rich men. Most billionaires have a desire to own a football club and Elon Musk is no different. In a recent podcast, the tech mogul’s father, Errol Musk, revealed that his billionaire son wanted to buy the English Premier League club, Liverpool. The Merseyside club, currently sitting at the top of the table, is currently owned by Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and they have no desire to sell their stake. FSG paid a whopping $300 million to acquire the club in 2010. Considering inflation and their amazing success on the pitch, if they ever decided to sell it, Musk might have to spend more than $500 million.
That won’t really be a problem for the Tesla man, who has a staggering net worth of $425 billion. However, if his dream does materialize, Elon Musk will become the richest club owner in the history of football. While we wait for any official word from either parties, we’ve listed the current richest football club owners. Here are the top seven:
Jim Ratcliffe to Sheikh Mansour: 7 Richest Football Club Owners
Public Investment Fund – $430 billion
Owns: Newcastle United
Public Investment Fund, a Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, acquired an 85% stake in Premier League club Newcastle United in October 2021. With a net worth of $430 billion, PIF is headed by the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and this makes him the wealthiest owner of a football club.
Mark Mateschitz - $39.6 billion
Owns: Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, NY Red Bulls
Besides a whopping $615 million dividend, Mark Mateschitz also inherited the football business from his father Dietrich, who passed away in 2022. As per the Forbes 2024 list, Mateschitz's net worth is $39.6 billion, and he currently owns football clubs in Austria, Germany and the United States.
Sheikh Mansour - $20 billion
Owns: Manchester City
Sheikh Mansour is often seen in the stadium to watch the high-profile clashes of his club Manchester City, which he bought in 2008 through his subsidiary company Abu Dhai United Group. Although Mansour's family estimated net worth is around $1 trillion, Mansour himself owns assets worth $20 billion.
Jim Ratcliffe - $15.8 billion
Owns: Manchester United, OGC Nice
Jim Ratcliffe is a British chemical engineer turned businessman who is the founder and chairman of the chemical company INEOS. Ratcliffe's INEOS owns OGC Nice in Ligue 1, FC Lausanne-Sport in the Swiss Super League and a part of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team. In 2019, INEOS ventured into Premier League with an acquisition of Manchester United.
Andrea Agnelli & Family - $13.5billion
Owns: Juventus
Andrea Agnelli is an Italian businessman and the current chairman of Juventus, one of Italy's most successful football clubs. Agnelli comes from the powerful Agnelli family, who have long been involved in the automotive industry. Agnelli has played an instrumental role in shaping the modern, trophy-laden history of Juventus, but was slapped with a 16-month ban from football in 2023 over club's irregularities of payment to player.
Dietmar Hopp - $13 billion
Owns: Hoffenheim
Dietmar Hopp is a German entrepreneur and billionaire who made his fortune in the software industry. Hopp, along with four other employees, left IBM to start SAP, which is now a multi-billion company. Hopp is the majority owner of the Bundesliga club Hoffenheim, which he bought in 2000.
Philip Anschutz - $10 billion
Owns: LA Galaxy
American billionaire businessman Philip Anschutz, whose net worth stands at $10 billion, has amassed his fortune through investments in a range of sectors such as real estate, railroads and entertainment. Anschutz acquired the Major League Soccer team, LA Galaxy, back in 1995 and has played a pivotal role in elevating the sport's popularity in the United States.
