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New Bournemouth owner Bill Foley warns Hollywood star Michael B Jordan and other partners that he is a ‘DICTATOR’ and always the ‘captain of the ship’ as he prepares to get stuck on the side of the Premier League after £150m takeover
New Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has declared himself a “dictator” and has warned Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan and his other investors that he will be the “captain of the ship” at the helm of the Premier League team.
The 78-year-old confirmed his £150m takeover of the south coast club this week and now Foley, who becomes club chairman, will be in attendance when they take on Crystal Palace on New Year’s Eve.
The purchase of the Premier League has been years in the making and now that he has taken over Bournemouth, he plans to run it exactly how he wants, with investors, including Creed and Black Panther star Jordan, playing a limited role under him.
Las Vegas businessman Bill Foley completed his £150m takeover of Bournemouth this week.
Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan (pictured) is part of businessman Foley’s consortium
“I have looked at several teams in the last two or three years and they all involved a minority investment and someone else is already in charge. I don’t like that I’m a dictator’ said Foley BBC Radio Solent.
‘When I’m involved, I need to be the captain of the ship. I had to wait for a situation where I could buy the team myself, with my partners, of course, and control the fate of the team.
“I’ve always said with the Las Vegas Golden Knights that if you make a mistake, it’s my fault. I will take responsibility and I plan to do the same with the AFCB.’
He added: “I tell my limited partners, and they know it, there’s nothing more limited than being a Bill Foley limited partner.”
Foley, as chairman of Cannae Holdings Inc, has a 50.1 per cent stake in Bournemouth.
Jordan is one of the minority owners involved in the acquisition and Bournemouth says the Hollywood actor will focus on the “global marketing and internationalization of the club”.
Las Vegas businessman Foley, who also owns the NHL franchise Vegas Golden Knights, initially finalized his £150m acquisition of the Cherries in October.
But it took some time to finalize the paperwork, which happened this week with the Premier League’s ratification of his deal.
Foley is the owner of the NHL team Las Vegas Golden Knights and president of Fidelity National Financial, one of the largest insurance companies in the US.
Bournemouth will be the third sports team in Foley’s portfolio, joining NHL team Vegas Golden Knights and Indoor Football League franchise Vegas Knight Hawks.
Premier League club Bournemouth will be the third sports team in Foley’s portfolio
Foley is the owner of the Las Vegas Golden Knights and president of Fidelity National Financial.
Foley takes over Bournemouth from Swiss-based Russian businessman Maxim Demin, who owned the club for 11 years.
That spell included the Cherries being promoted from League One to the top flight in the space of five seasons.
“When Maxim Demin came up against AFC Bournemouth in 2011, the football club was in a very precarious position,” Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said on finalizing the takeover.
Foley will become the club’s president and will attend the game on New Year’s Eve.
‘Without the belief and financial backing of Mr Demin and his family, AFC Bournemouth might well have ceased to exist.
“It took less than five seasons of Maxim’s involvement for the club to progress from League One to the Premier League, where his support allowed us to establish ourselves as a top-flight team.
“These are heights we could never have dreamed of reaching before, and we’re delighted that he helped us reach them again last year.”