Which Asian billionaires own English soccer clubs Leicester City, Cardiff and Southampton?
Fosun International and Guo Guangchang, Gao Jisheng, Vincent Tan and the Srivaddhanaprabha family all enjoy a seat at the world’s highest-profile soccer league
Owning a soccer club in England is about as big a statement of intent as one can make. Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich and Manchester City’s Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan have received much attention with their huge investments which include buying some of the world’s best players. They are not the only ones to show off their wealth. Chinese company China Media Capital (CMC) Holdings and Citic Capital have a 13 per cent stake in Manchester City. Owning a soccer club is big business that goes far beyond any vanity buy.
Tycoons from Asia have increasingly chosen to invest in teams in the highest-profile soccer league in the world. Here is a list of Asian owners with teams in the English Premier League and Championship.
Vincent Tan — Cardiff City
Malaysian businessman and investor Vincent Tan Chee Yioun owns a majority stake (51 per cent) in Welsh club Cardiff City. Tan, the founder of the Berjaya Corporation, made the Forbes billionaire list in 2010 with an estimated worth of US$1.3 billion the same year he bought Cardiff City. The Welsh club has drifted between the Premier League and the lower-tier Championship in recent seasons, before gaining promotion to the top flight at the end of last season. Tan also has stakes in Bosnian club FK Sarajevo, Belgium side KV Kortrijk and is part of an ownership group of Los Angeles FC in the United States.
The Srivaddhanaprabha family — Leicester City
The soccer world was shook to its core on October 27 after Thai owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in a helicopter accident soon after taking off from Leicester City’s ‘King Power Stadium’. Vichai was the CEO and chairman of King Power Duty Free and bought the club as part of the Asia Football Investments consortium. In 2014 the Foxes won promotion to the top flight and two years later the rank underdogs completed a fairy-tale rise by winning the league under Italian manager Claudio Ranieri. While chairman Vichai was credited with the club’s incredible success that season, his son Aiyawatt is vice-chairman of the Leicester board. His wife, Aimon is King Power’s vice-chairman, another son Apichet Sr, along with Vichai’s sisters Voramas and Aroonroong, are part of the executive team. Apichet is also executive director of the club. The Foxes are enjoying a revival under manager Claude Puel.
Fosun International and Guo Guangchang — Wolverhampton Wanderers