Aston Villa confirm new board members including billionaire investor

The US investment company Atairos has completed a deal to become a minority partner in V Sport - the joint venture of Aston Villa owners Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens.

The deal will see Atairos become a minority partner in V Sports, which will continue to own 100% of AVFC and will continue to have full control of all decisions at the Birmingham club.

Atairos’s billionaire chairman and chief executive, Michael Angelakis, is one of four new board members alongside managing director Chester Hall, Canadian Bashir Lebada and American Sarah Louise Waterson.

Atairos was launched in 2016 and has over $6.5 billion of equity capital.

What has the club said about the deal?

Following the completion of the deal, Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens said in a statement to the club: “We are excited to enter this partnership with Atairos, which will provide capital to fund infrastructure investments and drive growth and sustainable value for AVFC and the broader V Sports network over time.

“Atairos is an established investor and has successfully partnered with numerous leading companies in the leisure, sports, live entertainment, and media industries, including in the UK and Europe.

“We are confident Atairos is the right long-term strategic partner to support our next phase of growth, and we are pleased to welcome the Atairos team to the V Sports family.”

Michael Angelakis, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Atairos, added: “We have deep respect for Aston Villa, its rich history and loyal fan base, world-class management team and employees, and the V Sports ownership group

“We are confident this partnership will provide further long-term support for the growth of the Premier League and Aston Villa’s men’s and women’s teams. We look forward to working with Nassef, Wes and the Aston Villa team to strengthen the Club’s ability to compete and achieve even greater success.”