The Friedkin Group owned by US billionaire Dan Friedkin have agreed a deal to acquire the majority stake in Everton.
Friedkin, who also owns Serie A side AS Roma, came close to agreeing a deal to buy Farhad Moshiri’s 94 percent stake back in June before talks collapsed however the two reignited talks before coming to an agreement.
In a join statement released by the club and The Friedkin Group, a spokesperson from the company said ‘We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club.’
The deal draws a close to months of uncertainty for fans after the Premier League side had been struggling to find a buyer after a sale to Miami based 777 Partners LLC collapsed earlier this year.
Here is everything you need to know about the Toffees new owner Dan Friedkin.
The Friedkin Group have agreed a deal to acquire a majority stake in Everton
The deals ends months of uncertainty after the Premier League side has been struggling to find a buyer after a sale to Miami based 777 Partners LLC collapsed earlier this year
Everton’s previous majority stakeholder was Farhad Moshiri’s who held a 94 percent stake
Who is Dan Friedkin?
Thomas Dan Friedkin is 59-year-old US billionaire, who is also a Hollywood producer and stunt pilot who holds a passion for collecting vintage planes.
Friedkin is the chairman and CEO of the Friedkin group, a privately held consortium of businesses and investments in the automotive, hospitality, entertainment, golf and adventure industries.
He holds various leadership positions within the US business community, and is ‘highly active in wildlife conservation initiatives and various aviation and education philanthropies’.
The billionaire’s fortune derives from the car industry and a long line of savvy businessmen after he inherited Gulf States Toyota from his father who founded the company back in 1969.
The company, which is based in Houston, has exclusive rights to distribute Toyota vehicles in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
His grandfather, Kenny Friedkin was also a successful businessman.
In 1949 he founded Pacific Southwest Airlines which was one of the first low-cost airlines to make land in the US.
Thomas Dan Friedkin is 59-year-old US billionaire, who is also a Hollywood producer and stunt pilot who holds a passion for collecting vintage planes
What is Dan Friedkin’s net worth?
According to Forbes, the owner and Ceo of The Friedkin group is worth $7.6billion (£6.3bn).
Family life
Dan is married to Debra Lynn Friedkin, the long-time couple share four children together. Little is known about his children and wife.
However his wife has supported a number of conservation, ecological and archaeological initiatives in her lifetime, most notably in Texas, the family’s residing home and Tanzania, where the family have been working to protect wildlife since the 1980s.
According to Forbes, the owner and Ceo of The Friedkin group is worth $7.6billion (£6.3bn)
Business portfolio
After acquiring the family business from his father, Dan grew the company exponentially, branching out into the movie and hospitality industry.
The Friedkin Group also own many luxury resorts, and hotels, which has properties in Aspen and Cabo San Lucas.
In 2020, The Friedkin Group expanded into the football industry, when they purchased Roma for around £465m.
The Friedkin Group also own many luxury resorts, and hotels, which has properties in Aspen and Cabo San Lucas.
Hollywood, his directorial debut and stunt role in a blockbuster movie
Friedkin purchased a majority stake in the production company Neon back in 2019, which has produced major critically acclaimed films such as Parasite.
The billionaire also made his directorial debut in the same year, with the film ‘Lyrebird’, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2019.
He also co-founded the studio Imperative Entertainment which produced the 2023 Martin Scorsese directed Western ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Roberto de Niro.
Friedkin isn’t just an investor however, the 59-year-old likes to get involved in the industry.
He picked up an award for ‘best speciality stunt’ for his role as a stunt pilot in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’.
Friedkin provided the award-winning director with six of his own spitfire planes for the war film. and went on to land one of his 76-year-old Spitfires on the beach for the Hollywood blockbuster.