How Rich Every Premier League Club’s Owners Are

The ownership of Premier League clubs has never been so important. Years ago, football fans probably couldn’t care less who owned their club. But now, you must have an owner willing to dip into their deep pockets to fund transfers.

The likes of Newcastle and Manchester City are now essentially being owned by states, while there’s an increasing number of billionaires in charge of clubs. If you don’t have a rich owner, it’s going to be very difficult to be competitive in the greatest league in the world. But which teams have the richest owners ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season?

Given the fact that football has dramatically changed, and that those who have the most money tend to have the most power, these are how every single Premier League club ranks based on the wealth of their owners.

Net worth: £478 billion

Newcastle have some of the richest and most powerful people in the world in charge of them. Chaired by Mohammed bin Salman and governed by Al-Rumayyan, Newcastle could follow in Manchester City’s footsteps in terms of dominating English football in years to come. They’ve already had a spell in the Champions League and will no doubt continue to splash their almost unlimited cash when the opportunities arise.

Only two full years into the project, there has been a marked improvement in the club’s fortunes on the pitch as Eddie Howe was the man selected by the new ownership group to replace Steve Bruce shortly after the takeover was completed. That decision has certainly been vindicated thus far, with a return to the Champions League occurring in the 2022/23 campaign and a respectable seventh place finish in 2023/24. Things could be changing though, as co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi have both recently departed from the club.

2 Manchester United – Glazer Family, Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Net worth: £19.2 billion

There are very few football club owners who are more hated by their own fan base than the Glazers. The brothers took control of the club following their father’s – Malcolm Glazer’s – death. Accused of neglecting the training facilities and Old Trafford, Joel and Avram Glazer have been known to spend eye-watering sums on players such as Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho, and Angel Di María over the years.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased 27% of United in February 2024 and according to Forbes, Ratcliffe’s net worth sits at around £12.8 billion, which makes United the second-richest club when also adding the wealth of the Glazer family. The British billionaire also owns OGC Nice in Ligue 1, but will firmly be concentrating on his newest acquisition now.

3 Aston Villa – Wes Edens, Nassef Sawiris

Net worth: £13.8 billion

Nassef Sawiris is the youngest son of Egyptian billionaire, Onsi Sawiris. He saved Aston Villa from apparent administration under Tony Xia, buying a 55% controlling stake. He also owns a stake in Adidas and has funded the club generously in recent years with Unai Emery leading them into Europe following some big-money signings.

Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, and Nicolo Zaniolo were brought in prior to the 2023/24 season and following qualification to the Champions League, other big names continue to join the club, with the latest player set to put pen to paper at Villa Park being Everton’s Amadou Onana.

4 Manchester City – Abu Dhabi United Group, Silver Lake

Net worth: £12.9 billion

Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City in 2008, and they’ve been transformed into the best club side in world football. Mansour is the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and is part of the royal family of Abu Dhabi. Since being at the club, he’s witnessed an incredible era of success, with the club winning all three domestic trophies on numerous occasions (the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup) as well as the Champions League.

The improvement over the 15 years of Mansour’s ownership has seen Man City overtake Man United as the top club in Manchester. While it may be impossible to become a bigger club globally than their fierce rivals, City have had a much more successful decade and are perhaps the best football team in world football. Also, the key cog of the City Football Group, which brings Girona and Palermo under their control, their influence across the globe is only growing.

5 Chelsea – Todd Boehly, Hansjorg Wyss, Mark Walter

Net worth: £12.21 billion

Todd Boehly bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich for £4.2 billion and has already invested a lot of money into the club without many results. Boehly has funded more than £1 billion in transfers on 30 different players. The American is the co-founder and chairman of a private investment firm called Elridge Industries. He also owns a stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Chelsea may be an example of money not being a right to be successful. Many of the signings brought in during Boehly’s tenure are young and will take time to grow to their full potential, but results have been at an all-time low for the club, harkening back to the pre-Abramovich era.

6 Ipswich Town – Gamechanger 20 Ltd

Net worth: £10.8 billion

Gamechanger 20 Ltd acquired Ipswich Town in April 2021. The investment group is backed by the U.S.-based ORG, led by Brett Johnson, Berke Bakay, and Mark Detmer, with financial muscle provided by the Arizona-based Three Lions fund. This fund, largely financed by the Berke Bakay-managed Bakay Capital Fund, has a diverse investment portfolio across various sectors.

The takeover aimed to rejuvenate the club with significant financial investment, modern management practices, and a long-term vision to achieve higher league promotions, focusing on sustainable growth and improved performance on and off the pitch. Back-to-back promotions under Kieran McKenna, including a Premier League return, would’ve been exactly what the owners would’ve dreamed of when they took over.

7 Arsenal – Stan Kroenke

Net worth: £9.97 billion

Stan Kroenke married Ann Walton, an heiress of the US supermarket Walmart, in 1974. He then founded a real estate development group. Under Kroenke’s ownership, Arsenal suffered many years of nothingness but are now genuine title contenders under Mikel Arteta. He also owns other sports teams, including the LA Rams, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Rapids.

Kroenke was once criticised for not investing enough money in the playing staff, but those complaints have been put to bed. Declan Rice is the most expensive signing made in the Gunners’ history – for £105 million from West Ham – and was a big part of the extremely busy summer 2023 transfer window. More moves like that this summer will be crucial in closing the gap at the top of the table.

8 West Ham – David Sullivan, Daniel Kretinsky, Vanessa Gold

Net worth: £7.96 billion

David Sullivan and the late David Gold earned their fortunes in the adult industry. They initially owned Birmingham before buying their boyhood club, West Ham, in 2010. Ever since, the fortunes of the club have fluctuated several times, but the Irons did lift a European trophy in 2023. The UEFA Europa Conference League is the first trophy the Hammers have lifted since the FA Cup success in 1980.

The move to the London Stadium and the decision to demolish the famous Boleyn Ground was one of the most unpopular calls made by any Premier League owner. There were pitch invasions due to the state the club was in, but recent runs in Europe have proven that patience pays dividends.

9 Liverpool – John W. Henry, Tom Werner

Net worth: £7.57 billion

John Henry is the head of Fenway Sports Group and has been in charge of Liverpool since 2010. He appeared to ask for investment companies to help fund the club in 2022 with rumours that it was up for sale. But he later retracted that. He also owns the Boston Red Sox.

Considering there are seven clubs with wealthier owners than the Reds, their success after Jurgen Klopp’s arrival in October 2015 is rather remarkable. It has to be said, however, that FSG have always dipped into their pockets to make transfers happen when the manager requests they do so. Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, and Darwin Nunez are the most expensive signings under the American consortium’s ownership, and funds like that must be made available to Arne Slot as he begins his journey at Anfield.

10 Fulham – Shahid Khan

Net worth: £6.1 billion

Shahid Khan also owns NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars and is the co-owner of wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling with his son, Tony, who happens to be the director of football at Craven Cottage.

Over the past decade, Fulham have endured an up-and-down time with multiple relegations and promotions. The smartest piece of investment the Khan’s have made during their time at the club was the decision to appoint Marco Silva as the manager, as the Portuguese boss has got the Cottagers back into the Premier League and have managed to remain stable in their first two seasons back in the promised land.

11 Wolves – Guo Guangchang, Liang Xinjun, Wang Qunbin

Net worth: £5.33 billion

Guo Guangchang has been chairman of the Fosun Group, based in Shanghai and Hong Kong. He bought Wolves in 2016 for just £45 million and helped return them to the Premier League. Despite the extreme wealth of the Wolves owners, the club have still been forced to restrict themselves in the transfer market in order to adhere to Financial Fair Play rules.

For a large portion of their time in charge, the ownership group have looked to recruit Portuguese players and even managers. Ruben Neves was the biggest piece of business done, signing the youngest-ever Porto captain while still playing in the English second tier. When they first returned to the top flight, the Wanderers were pushing for Europe. And althought there were intial concerns under Gary O’Neil, the Old Gold are still firmly a mid-table team.

12 Tottenham – Joe Lewis, Daniel Levy

Net worth: £4.48 billion

Daniel Levy may be the chairman of Tottenham, but Joe Lewis is ENIC Group’s major shareholder (70.6%). ENIC have been at Spurs since 2001 and, while Levy is seen at every match, Lewis lives in the tax exile of the Bahamas. Levy is often viewed as the bad guy by Spurs fans, but ultimately, he isn’t the man who controls the club entirely.

Lewis was accused of being in charge of an insider trading scheme in July 2023, something that has been denied by the man himself. It is yet to be seen if any charges are brought against him and what impact that would have on Tottenham as a result. More recently, there have reportedly been some discussions with Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Quwain Sheikh Abdullah, following rumours of a possible sale.

13 Crystal Palace – John Textor, David Blitzer, Josh Harris, Steve Parish

Net worth: £4.25 billion

Josh Harris also owns NHL’s New Jersey Devils and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers along with business partner David Blitzer. Steve Parish has been the club chairman since 2010. Crystal Palace found themselves in dire financial straights prior to Parish’s appointment.

The Eagles have now spent more than a decade in the Premier League after achieving promotion in 2013. Never threatening to finish in the upper section of the league table, the club are also rarely involved in a relegation scrap. The financial stability of the side has allowed them to remain stable in their position as a mid-table Premier League team, as has their nuance when it comes to selecting managers.

14 Leicester City – The Srivaddhanaprabha Family

Net Worth: £2.7 billion

The Srivaddhanaprabha family, led by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, amassed their wealth through King Power, a Thai duty-free retail giant founded in 1989. Vichai bought Leicester City in 2010, and under his leadership, the club saw unprecedented success, most notably winning the Premier League in the 2015-2016 season despite 5000-1 odds.

Vichai’s tenure was marked by significant investments in the club’s infrastructure and community initiatives. Tragically, he died in a helicopter crash in 2018. His son, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, succeeded him and has since experienced the highs and lows of football. The Foxes have won the FA Cup, been relegated from the Premier League and promoted again during Aiyawatt’s tenure.

15 Everton – Farhad Moshiri

Net worth: £2.24 billion

Farhad Moshiri acquired a stake in Everton in 2016, promising significant investment to elevate the club. However, his tenure has been plagued by poor managerial appointments, inconsistent player acquisitions, and financial mismanagement, leading to on-pitch struggles, relegation battles and points deductions for failing financial fair play regulations.

The club’s financial woes culminated in attempts to sell to 777 Partners, a controversial U.S. investment firm known for risky ventures. Concerns about 777’s ability to fund the club and their opaque financial practices have led to uncertainty and unrest among fans and stakeholders. However, this deal failed to come to fruition.

16 Bournemouth – William P. Foley

Net worth: £1.24 billion

US billionaire Bill Foley assumed control at the Vitality Stadium in 2023. He’s the chairman of Fidelity National Financial, Cannae Holdings and Black Knight Financial Services. He also owns NHL side, Vegas Golden Knights and a stake in French Ligue 1 club FC Lorient.

There was an expectation that the beginning of Foley’s time in charge of the Cherries would be in the Championship, but the miracles worked by Gary O’Neil and co in the 2022/23 season ensured the club’s top-flight status. There was an influx of signings as a result and the appointment of Andoni Iraola has worked wonders as Bournemouth have secured a third consecutive season in the Premier League.

17 Brighton – Tony Bloom

Net worth: £1 billion

Tony Bloom made his billions through gambling, specifically poker. He bought his boyhood club, Brighton, in 2009 and has overseen their incredible rise with a clear philosophy and incredible success in the transfer market thanks to a data driven approach.

The Seagulls operate by using clever scouting methods to unearth gems from all across the globe to develop before selling them to the highest bidder. The best example of this came when Moises Caicedo was brought in for a nominal fee and became one of the best-performing midfielders in English football. This earned the Ecuadorian defensive midfielder a move to Chelsea for £115 million, making him the most expensive signing in Premier League history.

18 Southampton – Sport Republic, Katharina Liebherr

Net worth: £1 billion

Sport Republic, a sports investment firm founded by Rasmus Ankersen and Henrik Kraft, acquired an 80% stake in Southampton FC in January 2022. Katharina Liebherr, who inherited the club from her late father, Markus Liebherr, retained a 20% stake. Markus, a Swiss businessman, had purchased Southampton in 2009, rescuing it from financial turmoil.

The Liebherr family made their wealth through the Liebherr Group, a large construction machinery and equipment manufacturer. Sport Republic aims to apply data-driven strategies, like Brighton, to optimize Southampton’s performance and value, leveraging their expertise in sports management and investment.

19 Nottingham Forest – Evangelos Marinakis

Net worth: £479 million

Evangelos Marinakis hasn’t held back in terms of investing in the transfer market following Nottingham Forest’s return to the Premier League. It worked as they managed to stay up during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns. The Greek businessman also owns Olympiacos.

Nottingham Forest have signed an incredible number of players, which is a blessing and a curse as those players helped keep the iconic club in the Premier League, but has caused endless selection headaches and training issues simply due to the volume of players around the place. Marinakis is also not shy in making some controversial statements and decisions, one of those being when he hired Mark Clattenburg to become the Premier League’s first referee analyst.

20 Brentford – Matthew Benham

Net worth: £216.3 million

Brentford fan Mark Benham established his wealth through gambling firms such as Matchbook and Smartodds. He took control of the Bees in 2012 and also owns Danish side FC Midtjylland. He’s become a bit of a hero among the fanbase with a statistical model helping Brentford establish themselves as a regular Premier League club, as well as helping build a brand-new stadium.

Brentford, along with Brighton – as previously mentioned – are two of the best-run clubs in Europe, never mind just in England. Bringing in young players that can be moulded and grown into stars in the making, and then selling them on to bigger clubs for a huge profit is the way the Bees have operated successfully to become a staple in the Premier League.