Among the richest people in the world, it has become commonplace to acquire football and hockey clubs. Some wealthy sports fans invest in basketball, American football, baseball and even cricket.
What condition is required in order to allow yourself to own a sports club? The answer to this question was tried by the experts of the ubiquitous Forbes publication. We took the results of the investigation as the basis for the current Top 10 richest sports club owners.
10. Miki Arison (USA, fortune: $ 5.7 billion)
Arison owns the NBA's Miami Heat basketball team. In 2012, the club won the NBA title. The club’s capitalization is estimated at approximately $ 625 million, an increase of almost 40% over the year. Such successes in sports help Arison cope with failures in the core business. The world's largest cruise company Carnival Cruises is the basis of the wealth of the American billionaire, but after the Costa Concordia disaster, the company's shares fell significantly.
9. Charles Johnson (USA, fortune: $ 5.7 billion)
Johnson is an ardent baseball fan who owns the San Francisco Giants club. The team is a record holder in the number of matches won, as well as in the number of players represented in the Hall of Fame. The most non-public billionaire in the USA always appears in public at the moment of triumph of his favorite team.
8. Margarita Louis-Dreyfus (Switzerland, fortune: $ 6 billion)
A native of Leningrad, the widow of French magnate Robert Louis-Dreyfus inherited from her husband the football club Olympique Marseille. While the team has not won high-profile titles under the leadership of Margarita, but Madame invests heavily in the development of the club.
7. Silvio Berlusconi (Italy, fortune: $ 6.2 billion)
The romance between Berlusconi and AC Milan has been going on for many years. The investments of the most eccentric European politician helped the team win all conceivable trophies and even survive the corruption scandal without any losses. The truth is, today, Berlusconi’s finances are not so brilliant, and rumors about the sale of the club persist in Italy.
6. Phil Anschutz (USA, fortune: $ 10 billion)
The 73-year-old owner of Anschutz Entertainment Group did not choose one thing and acquired two teams at once: the Los Angeles Galaxy football and the Los Angeles Kings hockey. Investments clearly benefit clubs - Kings won the Stanley Cup again last year. Phil Anschutz plans to build a $ 1 billion football stadium.
5. Roman Abramovich (Russia, fortune: $ 10.2 billion)
The owner of the Chelsea football club won all possible awards with his team in the English and European arena. For 8 years, the Russian oligarch spent on the team about $ 1.3 billion, and Abramovich plans to build a new magnificent stadium.
4. Mikhail Prokhorov (Russia, fortune: $ 13 billion)
Prokhorov became a recognizable figure in the United States after purchasing the Brooklyn Nets basketball club. Thanks to investments, the athletes moved to the ultra-modern arena in New York - Barclays Center and gathered a brilliant star composition. Among the basketball players, Prokhorov, with his height of 203 cm, clearly feels like his own man.
3. Paul Allen (USA, fortune: $ 15 billion)
Microsoft co-founder owns the Seattle Seahawks (American Football) and Portland Trail Blazers (basketball) clubs. In addition, one of the richest sports club owners in the world has its share in the Seattle Sounders American football team.
2. Rinat Akhmetov (Ukraine, fortune: $ 15.4 billion)
The richest businessman in Ukraine is ranked 47th in the Forbes billionaires ranking and is the owner of Shakhtar football club. Akhmetov has been investing in the development of football in his native Donetsk for about 20 years. Shakhtar were the first among Ukrainian clubs to win the UEFA Cup, and the Donetsk stadium with 50 thousand seats in 2012 hosted the semifinal of the European Championship.
1. Mukesh Ambani (India, fortune: $ 21.5 billion)
The richest among the owners of sports clubs invests their money in cricket. Ambani is vibrantly involved in the life of the Mumbai Indians, one of the most popular teams in India. In 2011, the club won the prestigious cricket tournament, namely the Twenty20 Champions League.
