After their investment in the summer, the spotlight at Elland Road as far as Leeds United’s ownership is concerned has been on Red Bull. But 49ers Enterprises are still in charge of the very biggest decisions.
The 49ers, whose president Paraag Marathe is also Leeds chairman, first invested in the West Yorkshire club back in 2018, buying a 15 per cent stake from then-owner Andrea Radrizzani.
In September last year, the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers took full control of recently relegated Leeds in a deal that valued them at around £170m.
The 49ers have since shaken up the ownership structure again, selling an unspecified minority equity stake to the Austrian energy drinks, marketing and football investment company Red Bull.
For the 49ers, ‘soccer’ is still a relatively new market.
Leeds were the NFL titans’ first investment in the sport and remain so to this day, although there have been signals recently that suggest that might not remain the case for long.
Like any investment company, their long-term plan is to sell the club for a huge profit.
Promotion back to the Premier League is central to that aim and, with a few seasons of consolidation, would guarantee an enormous return.
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