Who owns Newcastle United? How much are the owners and football club worth?
Who owns Newcastle United Football Club?
Newcastle United Football Club has been owned by a consortium comprised of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), RB Sports & Media, and PCP Capital Partners (PCP) since Thursday, 7th October 2021. As of July 2023, PIF owns 80% of the club, with RB Sports & Media owning 12.4% and PCP 7.6%.
The consortium purchased Newcastle United from British entrepreneur Mike Ashley for £305 million. He had been the sole owner of the club since July 2007.
The PIF is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia and is fronted by Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF's Governor. He also acts as Newcastle United's Chairman.
RB Sports & Media is an off-shoot of "Reuben Brothers", the private equity and investment operation named after billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben. Its public face is Jamie Reuben, David's youngest son.
PCP Capital Partners is owned and operated by Amanda Staveley and her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
How much are the Newcastle United owners worth?
As of June 2023, PIF is reported to have over $700 billion (~£554 billion) of assets under management. The fund's stated mission is to have over $1 trillion under management within a few years. It is currently the seventh-largest sovereign wealth fund in the world.
The Sunday Times Rich List 2023 ranked the Reuben Brothers as the fourth wealthiest individuals in the United Kingdom. Their net worth is believed to be around £24.4 billion as of June 2023, an increase of ~10% over 2022.
Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi's net worth was often cited as being "around" £110 million during their pursuit of Newcastle United between 2017 and 2021. No new reports related to their wealth have emerged since they finally became minority co-owners of the club.
It is because of the combined wealth of the consortium that Newcastle United Football Club has routinely been dubbed "the richest club in the world" since their 2021 takeover. The club does not have all of this money available to it, however, as capital investment from the owners is heavily restricted by "financial fair play" rules imposed by both The Premier League and UEFA.
How much is Newcastle United itself worth?
According to Forbes' World's Most Valuable Soccer Teams list from May 2023, Newcastle United Football Club is now worth £630 million. This is a 51% increase on the 2022 list and 110% more than the October 2021 purchase price of £305 million.
The club's value has increased significantly since the takeover primarily due to the team's excellent on-pitch performance and the increased revenues associated with that. Having comfortably avoided relegation in the 2021/22 season, the team made it to the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley and finished fourth in the Premier League during the 2022/23 season.
That impressive league placing means that Newcastle will participate in the UEFA Champions League proper in 2023/24. Champions League participation is said to be worth £27 million before a ball has been kicked. The club is said to have earned £163.4 million from its Premier League participation alone in 2022/23. This represented an increase of £31.9 million (24%) compared to the revenue generated in the previous season.
A lucrative new shirt sponsorship deal with Sela, worth a reported £25 million per year, was also signed in May 2023. This is an increase of £18.5 million per year over the previous shirt sponsor deal with Fun88, which is moving to be the club's "official Asian betting partner". More partnerships are expected to be announced in the near future.
According to the most recent projections, Newcastle United will generate at least £265 million in 2023/24. This will see the club become one of the top 15 in world football in terms of revenue generation and will ensure that its value continues to increase significantly season-on-season.
