Table of Contents
Egypt’s richest man Nassef Sawiris is one of Europe’s wealthiest football club owners thanks to his interest in English club side Aston Villa. According to data tracked by Billionaires.Africa, his stake in the football club is worth $134 million at the time of writing.
Sawiris, who is known for his savvy business acumen, is the richest man in the Arab world.
In July 2018, he replaced Chinese businessman Tony Xia as chairman of Aston Villa following the purchase of a 55-percent controlling stake in the club by NSWE, a company jointly owned and controlled by Sawiris’ group NNS and U.S. billionaire Wes Edens.
NNS is a significant shareholder in Adidas AG, and Sawiris has been on the board of the German sportswear behemoth since 2016. NNS is also one of the owners of Bruins Sports Capital, a U.S. Private Equity firm that focuses exclusively on the sports industry.
In August 2019, after Aston Villa was promoted to the Premier League, Xia’s remaining shares were bought out by NSWE, as Sawiris and Edens took full control of the club.
According to data tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Sawiris has seen his net worth rise by a staggering $257 million since the start of the year, bringing his total net worth to $7.28 billion.
Sawiris’ diverse portfolio of investments encompasses a variety of industries and sectors, including substantial stakes in the internationally renowned sportswear giant Adidas, leading global nitrogen and methanol product manufacturer and distributor, OCI N.V., publicly traded multinational manufacturer of specialty materials, Arkema S.A, and the New York-based professional sports company, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.
These investments reflect his ability to identify and capitalize on profitable opportunities, and his success in these ventures further cements his reputation as a savvy and successful businessman.
