Shiekh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani. Potential Manchester United new owner after he bid for the club on Friday. So who is this person and how powerful is he?
Sheikh Jassim is now seen as the forerunner to buying the club after the Glazer family finally decided to sell the club. His bid is said to be at £4 billion, 2 billion less than the Glazer’s demand. However, money is not a problem for him as he will have enough funds to spend on huge transfers, redeveloping Manchester United, and improving its training facilities.
In a statement after the bid, his spokesperson said, “Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani today confirmed his submission of a bid for 100 percent of Manchester United Football Club,” a statement read. The bid plans to return the Club to its former glories both on and off the pitch, and – above all – will seek to place the fans at the heart of Manchester United Football Club once more.
The bid will be completely debt free via Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two Foundation, which will look to invest in the football teams, the training center, the stadium, and wider infrastructure, the fan experience, and the communities the Club supports. The vision of the bid is for Manchester United Football Club to be renowned for footballing excellence, and regarded as the greatest football club in the world. More details of the bid will be released, when appropriate, if and when the bid process develops.
Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani bid in for 100% of Manchester United 🚨🔴 #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 17, 2023
“The offer aims to restore the club to its former glory, both on and off the pitch, and will focus on putting fans back at the heart of Manchester United Football Club”.
Full statement ⤵️🚨 pic.twitter.com/c54Zuj1jwi
Sheikh Jassim is the son of the former Qatari Prime Minister and head of Qatar Investment Authority, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani. His father was known as someone who bought a lot of real estate in London and even gave £2.6 million in cash to then Crown Prince Charles. Jassim is also a Qatari billionaire and was supposedly born around 1982.
He attended the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, UK, and graduated as an officer cadet. He then chased a career where he has worked with multiple banks and companies as a chairman, director, or board member.
Many close sources revealed that he is a longtime Manchester United fan, apparently first supporting the club in 1992. His father was also involved in running Paris Saint Germain, another Qatari-owned club.
Sheikh Jasim’s primary role in his country is as chairman of the biggest bank in his country, Qatar Islamic Bank(QSI). He still retains that position and according to Forbes grew the bank to be the third most valuable company in his homeland. He has also been a board member at Credit Suisse, which QSI has stakes in and also happens to be one of the most powerful investment banks in the world.
It is said his net worth could be just over £1 billion but his family, the royal family of Qatar has around £275 billion net worth. While the bid is in his name, there is no doubt that he has the backing of his nation’s wealth at his disposal.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest man who owns INEOS, also submitted a bid. However, it seems the Qatari bid will be the one that wins.
