Football ownership is a matter of pride and prestige. It is also a matter of huge sums of money. Indeed, owners of football teams have to have deep pockets and considerable wealth to run operations. Chelsea FC were recently purchased by a consortium that included Hansjoerg Wyss and Todd Boehly.
🚨🔵 Official. Chelsea statement now confirms that “terms have been agreed for a new ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and Hansjoerg Wyss, to acquire the Club”. #CFC
It’s the end of Roman Abramovich era. pic.twitter.com/fTw5EMdd8p
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 7, 2022
The Blues’ former owner Roman Abramovich was one of the wealthiest in world football. The new party is not too shabby either. Premier League clubs dominate the list of wealthiest owners in world football which sees representation from Italy and France too. FootTheBall counts down the richest owners in football after the takeover of Chelsea.
10. Guo Guangchang (Wolverhampton Wanderers)- £5.27 billion
The founder of the investment conglomerate, Fosun International, Guangchang has helped Wolves rise through the Championship. Under his aegis, they have signed some world-class players including Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, and Raul Jimenez while continuing to develop young talents. Wolves made the semis of the Europa League in 2020 and are established as a solid mid-table club that can punch above their weight.
Delighted to welcome Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun Group, to Molineux and Compton Park this morning. pic.twitter.com/wyx9ENi6pY
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 6, 2016
9. Zhang Jindong (Inter)- £6.2 billion
One of the earliest entries foreign companies owning Italian clubs, Inter were purchased by Suning Holdings in 2016. Zhang Jindong has been instrumental in breaking Juventus’ stranglehold of the Serie A title. Inter won the Scudetto in 2021 with Antonio Conte at the helm, after making the final of the Europa League the year prior. Jindong has also struck gold by hiring Simone Inzaghi who has kept the good work going.
📸 | FOTO
Antonio Conte 🤝 Zhang Jindong pic.twitter.com/HBgtUaWKok
— Inter 🏆🇮🇹 (@Inter_es) June 2, 2019
8. Stan Kroenke (Arsenal)- £6.8 billion
Stan Kroenke is not too well-liked by supporters of Arsenal. The absent owner has been long criticized for being miserly and not spending heavily on players. However, Kroenke has been steadfast in his ownership of the Gunners since buying the majority stake in 2011. He finally loosened the purse strings in 2021 which allowed Arsenal to sign a whole host of young talents that are helping them compete for the Champions League.
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has 5 different franchises. All having great seasons 👀 pic.twitter.com/vvtKJgz1Be
— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) May 20, 2017
7. Phillip Anschutz (LA Galaxy)- £8.1 billion
By far the richest club in the MLS, LA Galaxy have had a whole bevy of star players grace them. From David Beckham to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club has been the favoured destination for top players. Therefore, it is no surprise that Phillip Anschutz makes a ton of money. Moreover, the market in Los Angeles is extremely favourable in terms of pricing which allows Galaxy’s value to rise.
Colorado's richest man, Phil Anschutz, is worth an estimated $11.7B. Anschutz Entertainment Group – AEG – owns soccer's LA Galaxy, the NHL's Kings – and just this week – the LA Times reports Anschutz is selling his minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. But wait… pic.twitter.com/eC5g5UiNF5
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) June 30, 2021
6. Todd Boehly, Mark Walter, Clearlake Capital, Hansjoerg Wyss (Chelsea)- £10.86 billion
The newly minted ownership group of the Blues. There had been months of speculation regarding who would finally purchase the club. Chelsea can finally start to look towards the future, with several players expected to leave on expiring contracts. Though the club will not have finances like Abramovich provided, it is still a huge deal and Chelsea will be well-sustained.
Todd Boehly at Stamford Bridge after officially signing to become owner of Chelsea Football Club… 📸 [@Darren_Lav89] pic.twitter.com/Iw67Bd68Lu
— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) May 6, 2022
5. Andrea Agnelli (Juventus)- £14 billion
The Agnelli family have been owners of the Old Lady since 1923. Andrea Agnelli is the latest scion, having a huge fortune. He is on the board of Stellantis and investment magnate Exor. Moreover, Agnelli was one of the founders of the ill-fated European Super League, which ignited a fight between him and UEFA chief Aleksandr Ceferin. Juventus have been dominant in Serie A over the past decade but have struggled in recent times.
President Andrea Agnelli throughout the years.https://t.co/xY1409wNRW pic.twitter.com/bG2fpSaA5P
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) December 6, 2020
4. Dietrich Mateschitz (RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg and New York Red Bulls)- £15.7 billion
The majority owner of the Red Bull group is well known in footballing and Formula 1 circles. Dietrich Mateschitz has bankrolled the rise of RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg in their respective leagues. They have become a hub of producing superstar talent and Red Bull has farm teams in various countries. Moreover, the MLS franchise has been successful too, winning silverware and having Thierry Henry play for them.
Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz says 'he has a very ambitious project' and 'he will do what it takes' to turn Leipzig into a big club pic.twitter.com/CzsihyS7ap
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) November 7, 2016
3. Sheikh Mansour (Manchester City)- £21 billion
Manchester City have had a meteoric rise since Abu Dhabi came to town. Sheikh Mansour has gone full steam ahead with his all-conquering plan. City have become the dominant side in English football with trophies galore. The Champions League has remained out of reach, but it is surely a matter of time before that bastion falls. Moreover, the City Group also have farm teams under them including New York City FC, Melbourne City, and others.
🗣 | Sheikh Mansour [2008]:
“We built a structure for the future not just a team of all-stars.”#ManCity | #MCFC pic.twitter.com/BdTDwIJ2GE
— City Chief (@City_Chief) May 2, 2021
2. Qatar Investment Authority (PSG)- £220 billion
The first state-owned football club in Qatar followed UAE into football in 2012. PSG have been thoroughly dominant in France, winning Ligue 1 titles for fun. They have had an army of star players, which was elevated further by the signing of Lionel Messi. However, like City, they have struggled in the Champions League and would like to win it sooner than later.
Congratulations to Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Chairman & CEO of @psg_english, who has today been elected as the new #ECA Chairman 👏 pic.twitter.com/fYeU4eANWx
— ECA (@ECAEurope) April 21, 2021
1. Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (Newcastle United)- £320 billion
The richest club in all the land. Newcastle United had its fortunes changed in 2021 when Mike Ashley sold the club to PIF. Amanda Staveley is the face of the ownership group who have hired Eddie Howe to right the ship.
"Newcastle United deserves to be top of the Premier League – it will take time but we will get there" 🏆
Amanda Staveley outlines the vision for #NUFC in the next 5-10 years 😮
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 7, 2021
They have already made a splash by signing Bruno Guimaraes in January 2022 and no doubt, even bigger transfers are on the horizon. However, there have been concerns over the human rights issue in Saudi Arabia, which has divided fans since the takeover happened.
