Football ownership is a matter of pride and prestige. It is also a matter of huge amounts of money. In fact, owners of football teams must have large pockets and great wealth to manage operations. Chelsea FC was recently acquired by a consortium that included Hansjoerg Wyss and Todd Boehly.
🚨️ Responsible. Chelsea’s statement now confirms that “the terms of a new ownership group, led by Todd Boehle, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter and HansGeorg Weiss, to acquire the club have been agreed.” #CFC
It is the end of the Roman Abramovich era. pic.twitter.com/fTw5EMdd8p
– Fabrizio Romano May 7, 2022
Former Blues owner Roman Abramovich was one of the richest footballers in the world. The new party isn’t shabby either. The list of the world’s richest football owners is dominated by English Premier League clubs which also sees representation from Italy and France. football Descending is the richest football owner after taking over Chelsea.
10. Guo Guangchang (Wolverhampton Wanderers) £5.27 billion
The founder of the investment conglomerate, Fosun International, helped Guangchang rise to the wolves through the championship. Under his sponsorship, they have signed some world class players including Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez while continuing to develop young talents. Wolves reached the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2020 and have been established as a powerful mid-table club that can beat above their weight.
I am pleased to welcome Guo Guangchang, President 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 pounds
One of the oldest foreign companies to own Italian clubs, Inter was bought by Suning Holdings in 2016. Zhang Jindong was instrumental in breaking Juventus’ grip on the Serie A title. Inter won the Scudetto in 2021 with Antonio Conte at the helm, having reached the Europa League final the previous year. Jindong has also reaped gold by hiring Simone Inzaghi who has kept the good work going.
📸 | photo
Antonio Conte 🤝 Zhang Jindong pic.twitter.com/HBgtUaWKok
– Inter 🏆🇮🇹 (Inter_es) June 2, 2019
8. Stan Kroenke (Arsenal): 6.8 billion pounds
Stan Kroenke is not very much liked by Arsenal supporters. The absent owner has long been criticized for being stingy and not spending heavily on players. However, Kroenke has been consistent in his ownership of the Gunners since buying a majority stake in 2011. He finally eased the cash restrictions in 2021 allowing Arsenal to sign a whole host of young talent helping them compete for the Champions League.
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has 5 different franchises. All the great seasons 👀 pic.twitter.com/vvtKJgz1Be
– ODDSbible (ODDSbible) May 20, 2017
7. Philip Anschutz (Los Angeles Galaxy) – 8.1 billion pounds
By far the richest club in MLS, LA Galaxy had a whole host of superstars overseeing them. From David Beckham to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club has been the favorite destination for top players. Therefore, it is not surprising that Philip Anschutz makes a lot of money. Moreover, the market in Los Angeles is very favorable in terms of pricing which allows the value of the Galaxy to go up.
Phil Anschutz, the richest man in Colorado, has an estimated fortune of $11.7 billion. Anschutz Entertainment Group – AEG – owns LA Galaxy, the NHL’s Kings – and this week only – the LA Times reported that 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 Boyle, Mark Walter, Clearlake Capital, Hansjoerg Weiss (Chelsea) – 10.86 billion pounds.
Newly minted blues property collection. There have been months of speculation as to who will finally buy the club. Chelsea can finally start looking to the future, with many players expected to leave on expired contracts. Although the club will not have the financial resources like Abramovich offered, it is still a huge deal and Chelsea will continue to be well sustainable.
Todd Boehle at Stamford Bridge after signing officially to become owner of Chelsea Football Club… 📸 [@Darren_Lav89] pic.twitter.com/Iw67Bd68Lu
– LDN (LDNFootbalI) May 6 2022
5. Andrea Agnelli (Juventus) 14 billion pounds
The Agnelli family has been owner of the Old Lady since 1923. Andrea Agnelli is the last descendant, who owns a huge fortune. He is a board member of Stellantis and investment magnate Exor. Moreover, Agnelli was one of the founders of the ill-fated European League, which sparked a battle between him and UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. Juventus have dominated Serie A for the past decade but have struggled lately.
President Andrea Agnelli over the years.https://t.co/xY1409wNRW pic.twitter.com/bG2fpSaA5P
– Juventus (@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 football and Formula 1 circles. Dietrich Mateschitz has funded the rise of RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg in their respective league. They have become a production center for super talent and Red Bull has farm teams in various countries. Moreover, the MLS franchise was also successful, winning titles and playing Thierry Henry with them.
Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz says he “has a very ambitious project” and “will do what it takes” to turn Leipzig into a big club. pic.twitter.com/CzsihyS7ap
Bayern and Germany (@iMiaSanMia) November 7, 2016
3- Sheikh Mansour (Manchester City) – 21 billion pounds
Manchester City has experienced a meteoric rise since the arrival of Abu Dhabi to the city. Sheikh Mansour proceeded with full force in his comprehensive plan. City has become the dominant team in English football with many titles. The Champions League has remained elusive, but it is certainly a matter of time before this stronghold falls. Furthermore, City Group also has agricultural teams under its supervision including New York City FC, Melbourne City, and others.
🗣 | Sheikh Mansour [2008]:
“We’ve built a structure for the future that’s not just an all-star team.”#city of Manchester | #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 the Emirates into football in 2012. Paris Saint-Germain was quite dominant in France, winning Ligue 1 titles for fun. They had an army of stars, which he elevated even further by signing Lionel Messi. However, like City, he has struggled in the Champions League and wants to win it sooner rather than later.
Congratulations to Nasser Al-Khulaifi, Chairman and CEO of the company Tweet embedwho was elected today as the new #ECA head 👏 pic.twitter.com/fYeU4eANWx
– ECA (ECAEurope) April 21, 2021
1. Saudi Public Investment Fund (Newcastle United) – £320 billion
The richest club in all the land. Newcastle United’s fortunes changed in 2021 when Mike Ashley sold the club to the Public Investment Fund. Amanda Staveley is the face of the property group that hired Eddie Howe to correct the ship.
“Newcastle United deserve to be top of the Premier League – it will take some time but we will get there” 🏆
Amanda Staveley sets the vision for # NUFC In the next 5-10 years 😮
– Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 7, 2021
They have already achieved success by signing with Bruno Guimaraes in January 2022 and there is no doubt that there are even bigger transfers on the horizon. However, there have been concerns about the human rights issue in Saudi Arabia, which has divided fans since the acquisition took place.