Billionaire and influential businessman Shahid Khan‘s rags to newfound wealth story has seen him go from earning just 85p an hour washing dishes to making a monstrous £800million bid for one of the luxurious edifice of the footballing world.
With his handlebar mustache and radiant, though frequently rowdy, the Pakistan-born car parts tycoon is a standout amongst the most unmistakable owners in English football. But, the potential buy of “Sacrosanct turf” of Wembley will make him a noteworthy power player with a status in the game far beyond the ownership of a Premier League team.
Khan, 67, was born in Lahore (Pakistan), but later moved to America in 1967 at the age of 16, to study engineering at the University of Illinois. His initial couple of days in America were spent in a $2-a-night YMCA.
Khan made his fortune by building up a one-piece car bumper that turned into the automobile industry standard in America. He became a US national in 1991 and consistently climbed the rankings of affluent Americans. A year ago he was believed to be worth more than $8.7 billion (£6.25 billion), making him the 158th wealthiest businessman in the world.
In 2011 he purchased Florida-based Jacksonville Jaguars for $760 million, becoming the first foreign owner of an American football team from an ethnic minority background.
The Jaguars have been regular guests to London. In 2012 they signed a deal to play a game a year at Wembley. For any London game, the Jaguars are the assigned “home” team.
In the wake of buying West-London outfit Fulham he started investing and spending more time in London and his luxurious yacht, the 95.2m Kismet, was more frequently spotted on the Thames.
