Check out this interesting, but very surprising list!
Note: This list includes every man who has a percentage stake in a football club, however small.
10) Roman Abramovic (Chelsea, England) $10.2 billions
The original football sugar daddy, Abramovic brought Chelsea back in 2003. The football club has not looked back since. Despite sacking a plethora of world renowned managers, the Blues have won three Premier League titles, countless FA and League Cups, a Champions League and a Europa League.
9 John Fredricksen (Valerenga, Norway) $11.5 billions
Norway’s richest man was actually a high-school drop out, but went on to make billions in the oil tanker and shipping business. He once turned down a £180m offer from Roman Abramovic for his house! Fredricksen doesn’t pour cash into his football side though, and they haven’t won the league since 2005.
8 Paul Allen (Seattle Sounders, United States) $15.0 billions.
The 60-year-old is a co-founder of Microsoft, and also owns an NBA franchise with the Portland Trailblazers. Allen’s Seatle Sounders joined the MLS in 2009, and currently have ex-Premier League players like Djimi Traore and Obafemi Martins among their ranks.
7 Francois Pinault (Stade Rennes, France) $15.0 billions.
Pinault is a famous art dealer, and founder of retail company Kering. His football club though have never won France’s major league, and like some of the other owners on this list, surprisingly doesn’t splash cash on transfer fees.
6 Rinat Akhmetov (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine) $15.4 billions.
Akhmetov became president in 1996 following a mysterious assassination of the club’s previous owner. Under his command, Shakhtar have won the domestic title in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013! His policy is to buy expensive young Brazilian talent, and then sell them on for huge profits.
5 Lakshmi Mittal (Queens Park Rangers, England) $16.5 billions.
The steel magnet bought shares in the London club back in 2007, joining Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone on the board. Briatore sold his shares though, and QPR are now fighting for Championship promotion following a miserable Premier League campaign last year.
4 Alisher Usmanov (Arsenal, England) $17.6 billions.
The oligarch is Russia’s richest man, and has had shares in Arsenal since 2007. He has heavily criticised the club’s transfer policy, and wrote an open letter to the board (and majority owner Stan Kroenke) lamenting them for not being ambitious enough, and allowing Robin Van Persie to join Manchester United!
3 George Soros (Manchester United, England) $19.2 billions.
In 2009, Soros acquired a roughly 1.9% share in the Premier League giants, and he also has part ownership of DC United and MLB side Washington Nationals. The Hungarian is known as the ‘The man who broke the bank of England’ for his involvement in the 1992 Black Wednesday Currency Crisis.
2 Amancio Ortega (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) $57 billions.
Ortega is the third richest man in the world, and has a stake in La Liga club Deportivo. He owns the Inditex fashion group, which high-street clothes chain Zara is a part of. Last year his daughter’s wedding was delayed by an hour because of a match between Deportivo and Barcelona B!
1 Carlos Slim (Club Pachuca, Mexico – Club Leon, Mexico – Real Oviedo, Spain) $73.0 billions.
Slim was officially the richest man in the world between 2010 and 2013, but he has now been overtaken by Bill Gates once again. Slim’s America Movil company bought a 30 percent stake last year in Grupo Pachuca, whose holdings include first division Mexican football clubs Pachuca and Leon. He also has share in Real Oviedo in Spain, although isn’t very generous with his ludicrous funds for transfers.
***Sheikh Mansour, owner of Manchester City and Nasser Al-Khelaifi, owner of PSG were left out because their wealth is family owned.