Top 10 richest football club owners in the world

Football is a sport that billions of people around the world treat as a religion. The game is faster, tougher and more technical than ever before. Even the smallest details can be the deciding factor between reaching the World Cup final and winning it. Players are more hardworking, athletic, talented, technical, driven and better in every way than before.

Not even spending if the world of football is at an all-time high when billionaire club owners are willing to go to great lengths to make sure their club succeeds in their respective leagues. They play a huge role when it comes to club football as they breathe new life into their clubs through smart investment in players, training facilities, coaching staff, off-field marketing and sponsorship. Such an investment will no doubt have a huge impact on the clubs as in no time the club takes on a personality and becomes one of the teams to watch.

The richer the history of the club, the easier it is for a new owner to come and invest. He knows that thanks to sponsorships and broadcast deals, he will be able to earn as much money as he will invest in the club in the future to improve it. To understand the role of owners, we just need to look at the case of English giants Chelsea.

He bought the club for $400 million in 2003 and changed the landscape of English football in the blink of an eye. His importance is evidenced by the fact that before he bought the club, Chelsea had only one league title, and now there are four. Since Roman bought Chelsea, they have won 15 trophies and ushered in the most successful era in the history of the London club.

Interesting, isn't it?? Here we have prepared a list that will show you more about these billionaires who have invested in the club as owners or shareholders for the success of their clubs.

10. Rinat Akhmetov - $12.8 Billion - Shakhtar Donetsk

Rinat Akhmetov, the son of a miner, is now a Ukrainian oligarch who is at the center of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. He was the founder and owner of System Capital Management, which successfully invested in several companies in various industries. Since taking over Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk in 1996, they have won 8 Ukrainian Premier League titles. He also supervised the construction of an insanely beautiful home stadium called the Donbass Arena. This stadium was chosen as one of the venues for the 2012 European Championship.

9. John Fredricksen - $14.5 billion - Valerenga

Next on the list is John Fredricksen, an oil and shipping magnate who controls the largest fleet of oil tankers in the world. He became rich in the 80s when his tankers carried oil during the Iran-Iraq wars. He is an investor in companies such as Deep Sea Supply, Golden Ocean Group, Seadrill, Marine Harvest and, most importantly, the Norwegian club Tippeligaen Valerenga. His investment in Seadrill alone earned him over $400 million a year, allowing him to invest in the club. He helped the club get back on its feet by paying off their debts and also moved the team to a larger stadium, the 22,000-capacity Ullevaal Stadium.

8. François Henri Pinault - $15.5 million - Stade Rennes

Next on the list is François Henri Pinnot, a successful businessman and CEO of Kering, the company that owns Yves St. Laurent, Gucci and others. Kering was founded by his father François Pinault in 1963 and the company has been increasingly successful ever since. The incredible growth of his company helped him acquire French Ligue 1 team Stade Rennes. After a high-profile divorce from supermodel Linda Evangelista, Pino married actress Salma Hayek. Pinault is also known for running the Groupe Artemis, a holding company that manages his family's investments in insurance, art and winemaking.

7. Lakshmi Mittal - $16.1 billion - Queens Park Rangers

On the 7th - Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. He heads the world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal. Despite his company's economic difficulties due to declining demand for steel, he still manages to amass wealth and do his best to develop his football club, Queens Park Rangers, who currently play in the second division of English football. His 41 percent stake in his ArcelorMittal company will no doubt be boosted by several steel mill development projects currently under way in India and the US.

6. Paul Allen - $16.3 - Seattle Sounders

Paul Allen is next on the list. Paul co-founded Microsoft along with another big name, Bill Gates. Paul also had a number of successful investments in his company Vulcan, Inc. He has invested heavily in professional sports franchises such as the Portland Trailblazers, Seattle Seahawks and most recently the MLS club Seattle Saunders. Allen also owns Seattle's CenturyLink Field Stadium, where his clubs play their home games. Today, Allen invests not only in sports, but also in scientific research in the field of artificial intelligence and brain science.

5. Alisher Usmanov - $19.4 billion - FC Arsenal

Alisher Usmanov starts the countdown of the five richest people in Russia. He has had several successful investments in mining, steel, telecommunications, and media conglomerates. He currently owns a controlling stake in Metalloinvest, a company that specializes in steel production and also sponsors Dynamo Moscow. Usmanov is also a shareholder of the English club Arsenal. Despite all efforts, Usmanov could not become the majority shareholder of FC Arsenal. However, this has not diminished his passion for the club in the slightest, as he continues to take a keen interest in the club's success on and off the pitch.

4. George Soros - $24 billion - Manchester United

Fourth place goes to George Soros. He leads Soros Fund Management, which is one of the most successful hedge funds to date. In 1992, Soros made over $1 billion in a single day by simply selling the British pound short during the Black Wednesday crisis. After that, he began to actively invest in football, starting with DC United in 1995. He later acquired a minority stake in Manchester United after the company decided to go public in 2012.

3. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - $34 billion

Manchester City, Melbourne City, New York City Number 3 on the list is Sheikh Mansour, who is known as one of the richest people associated with the world of football. He took over English club Manchester City in 2008 and achieved great success in the limited time he owned them. His club managed to win two English Premier League titles. His ambition has attracted several high-profile stars, and he has also invested heavily in the club's training facilities and youth academy. He also hopes to expand his investments after buying the MLS franchise New York City FC and Australian club Melbourne City.

2. Amancio Ortega - $62.9 billion - Deportivo de la Coruña

Number two on the list is Spanish tycoon Amancio Ortega. Ortega recently stepped down as chairman of fashion conglomerate Inditex, which is known to have over 5,000 stores in 77 countries. He has worked under several labels including Stradivarius and Zara. This Spanish tycoon is currently the owner of the historic club Deportivo de la Coruña. He is very passionate and passionate about the club. Deportivo used to play regularly in the Champions League, but in recent years they have struggled to succeed as they fall far behind giants like Barcelona and Real Madrid. Despite his enormous wealth, Ortega loves a normal and private life, while doing his best to avoid interaction with the media.

1. Carlos Slim Elu - $86.3 billion

Number one on the list is one of the richest men in the world, Carlos Slim Helu, who is known as the richest owner in the world of football. He made a considerable fortune by investing in his Grupo Carso conglomerate. Helu is also President and CEO of Mexican telecommunications companies Telmex and America Movil. His company America Movil bought a stake in Club Leon and Club Pachua, two Mexican clubs, and then he bought the Spanish club Real Oviedo in 2012. As the club's majority shareholder, Helu set his sights on a comeback Real Oviedo moved to La Liga after more than a decade away from the top level of Spanish football.

The enormous wealth that these owners bring to their clubs is inexplicable. Football attracts more and more billionaires, which means that the football market is richer and bigger than ever before. There was a time when a player worth 1 million dollars was considered one of the best in the world, and now players are sold for 100 times more. Manchester United recently broke the record for most expensive transfer player after buying Paul Pogba for over $100 million. This is a sign that owners are willing to spend big money if it means immediate success for their clubs.