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Wes Edens’ new comments on £310m US deal speak volumes about Atairos’ plans at Aston Villa
With a combined net worth of around £16.5bn, Aston Villa owners Wes Edens, Nassef Sawiris, and the private equity firm Atairos are among the very richest in the Premier League.
Edens and Sawiris bought into Villa via investment vehicle NSWE back in 2018 and have since turned on the afterburners to bring European football back to Villa Park.
In December last year, Edens and Sawiris confirmed that London-headquartered investment firm Atairos had bought a minority stake in V Sports, the holding company that encompasses Villa and Vitoria.

Atairos have increased their Villa shareholding via several share issues, the last of which saw £50m inject into V Sports earlier this month.
With the firm now controlling almost as much equity as Edens and Sawiris respectively, speculation has arisen that Atairos could mound a full takeover of Aston Villa.

Private equity is establishing more and more links within football, be that in the form of minority or majority equity investment in clubs, leagues, or the media.
As it happens, Wes Edens is a legend in the world of private equity, particularly when it comes to sports.
And the American multibillionaire has given a signal about what Villa’s long-term play with their private equity benefactors Atairos might look like.
Wes Edens outlines ownership model as Atairos influence builds
As well as Villa, Edens also co-owns the US basketball franchise the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks won the NBA championship in 2021 and, according to Forbes, are worth 25 per cent more than they were last year at £3.1bn.
That value has been arrived at partly through the minority investments that the Bucks have sought in recent years.
Junior Bridgeman, a former Bucks player turned entrepreneur, paid around £310m for a 10 per cent stake in the Bucks in September.
In a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal , Edens’ comments about Bridgeman’s investment indicate why he and Sawiris may have chosen to take on minority investment in Aston Villa from Atairos.
“Consolidating the ownership we thought was a real goal, for lots of reasons,” he said.

“No offense to the people who sold, they invested, they did really well in their investment, but I think having fewer owners in the group makes things a little easier to deal with.
“That said, Junior is a 10 out of 10 in terms of what we could have hoped for. He’s a legendary basketball player, he’s a legendary businessman, a very warm, wonderful guy.
“Junior has forgotten more about basketball than I’m ever going to know, that’s for sure. And I’m just so excited to have him as a partner. I think he’s going to be a huge addition to us.
“Certainly on the business side, because he’s had great business experiences, but also in basketball. He brings a very unique and very relevant perspective. I think that’s really great.”
What have Atairos said about Villa?
When Atairos first bought into Villa, company CEO Michael Angelakis said: “Aston Villa is a historic football club with an exceptional management team and significant growth potential.
“We are strong believers in the long-term global growth potential of the Premier League and Aston Villa’s men’s and women’s teams. We have great respect for Aston Villa’s leadership and look forward to partnering with Nassef and Wes.
Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
1 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 23 | |
2 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 22 | |
3 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 18 | |
4 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 18 | |
5 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 17 | |
6 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 16 | |
7 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 16 | |
8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 13 | |
9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 13 | |
10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
“We are excited to bring our expertise in supporting businesses in the leisure, sports, and live entertainment industries to elevate the Club to even greater heights.”
- READ MORE: Aston Villa keeping close tabs on Champions League striker who plays just like Romelu Lukaku
The private equity model: Perfect for Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris?
Atairos have strengthened Villa’s capital base, and their expertise in the sports investment sector will be leveraged, as Angelakis says, to navigate football’s wider financial sphere.
But perhaps their real value to Edens and Sawiris lies in their willingness to be more of a silent partner.
With Edens saying he thinks “having fewer owners makes thing easier to deal with”, private equity investment provides capital but typically not in exchange for sweeping operational input.

Aston Villa are flying high in the Premier League and Champions League and enjoying the fruits of a maturing commercial strategy.
So, why change a winning formula? From Edens and Sawiris’ perspective ,the private equity model of providing financial support but not necessarily huge day-to-day input is perfect.