Football club AC Milan in Thai hands?
Former Italian president Silvio Berlusconi, who has owned 1986 percent of AC Milan football club through his investment company Fininvest since 48, has agreed to sell XNUMX percent of his shares, according to a report by ANP. The buyer is Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol.
However, taking a look at the Forbes list of the 40 richest Thai, we do not come across his name. Still, you have to have a few loose coins in your pocket to acquire such an interest in a football club like AC Milan. The club has an estimated value of around 700 million euros. If we have to take it all for granted, the Thai entrepreneur has offered a billion euros for a majority share in the club. The rumors about the takeover have been circulating for many months and the amounts change every day. Berlusconi does not want to sell - he says - but the rumors about a deal are increasingly frequent in the media. Nice for your name recognition.
AC Milan football club
In the mid-eighties, the Dutch players of Basten, Gullit and Rijkaard celebrated triumphs at this renowned club. At a later stage, Mark van Bommel, Huntelaar and Clarence Seedorf also played for Milan. The latter even spent a season as a trainer after his active football career. Nigel de Jong and Marco van Ginkel are currently playing for Milan. However, the sporting results of the club have faded in recent years and with it the associated revenues.
The Taechaubol family
Earlier this year, the Country Group Development (CGD), part of the Taechaubol family, unveiled plans to build a $980 million real estate project on the banks of Bangkok's Chao Phraya River.
The plan consists of residential units in the higher segment with two 5-star hotels. The hotels will be situated over a length of 350 meters directly on the river and the further residential development will extend over 5.8 hectares up to the Charoen Krung Road. CGD is the real estate branch of the Taechaubot family and is headed by father Sadawut. In October 2013, he signed an agreement with the China Export-Import Bank for the start-up of the project.
Sadawut Taechaubol has not done too bad in real estate and has more than 60 million euros in his private bank account. The family also maintains close ties with the Thai royal family, which is also important. The land for the said project was purchased through the Office of the Royal Household.
Who is Ben Taechaubol?
Ben, better known by his nickname Bee, Taechaubol is the son of Sadawut and was born on September 12, 1975, so 39 years old. He is married and has two children. He obtained his MBA (Master of Business Administration) at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and also studied at the University of New South Wales in Australia.
After his studies, Bee worked at The International Engineering Public Company Limited and during the years 2008-2010 as CEO at Country Group Security Holdings PCL, also a company of his family. As of 2014, Bee is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Electronics Industry PCL and co-serves as CEO of Thai Prime Company Limited.
The latter company specializes in private equity. For the uninitiated; a company that participates with private capital in companies outside the stock exchange.
As a typical Dutch example, let me mention the typical Dutch retail chain HEMA, which came into the hands of the British Lion Capital on 1 January 2007, also a private equity company.
Two years ago, Bee Taechaubol commented in an interview: “The sector in which we participate is not important; it's about the opportunities. We invest in something we feel good about. It is not the case that I just have 10 million lying around somewhere, but more importantly I know where I can get that money”.
Apparently he has a good feeling about football and specifically about AC Milan. The rumor has been circulating for months and if you have to believe all the reports, the deal has already been closed, something that the other cunning fox Berlusconi always denies in interviews. He wants to continue to hold sway over his toy.
Just smile
Speaking of interviews; couldn't suppress a smile while reading an interview with Bee Taechaubol. One of his statements: “I worked as a dishwasher when I was 16 and when I was XNUMXe I already traded in real estate”.
It's great if you can earn so much money in two years as a dishwasher and then start a real estate business. Sounds nice to play the handy guy, but to be honest, I personally don't believe it at all.
We just have to wait and see what will happen to that club from Milan.
But Berlusconi remains in charge. And by the way, it is now an option that can only be lifted in 8 weeks.
What I really think of such a man I will leave in the middle. Inhabitant of a country where education is appalling, many have to scrape through the day, facilities for the elderly are almost nil, health care for people with money. And such a hi so guy buys a very expensive football club, for billions of thb's. It will take my time, but disgusting…..
Thai investors are advancing in the EU! while Thailand is again very interesting for European business people.
It would have been to this man's credit if he had invested this amount in his own country. He is only concerned with his own ego.
Can't we start a signature campaign? Even if it's just to loosen something deep in his heart..
He will be able to set off the investment for tax purposes so that the state has even less income to do the work that still needs to be done in this country.
And Erik and Henri are right. But it must be said: There are more rich people who own a football club in those cases in England: Leicester city, Reading and a club that has just been relegated. And what to say about the sponsorship: Singha, will not be on the shirt of Chelsea for free etc……