The Friedkin Group, owned by American billionaire Dan Friedkin, has signed a deal to acquire a majority stake in Everton.
Friedkin, who also owns Serie A club AS Roma, came close to a deal to buy Farhad Moshiri’s 94 percent stake in June, but negotiations fell through. However, the two resumed talks before reaching an agreement.
In a joint statement from the club and The Friedkin Group, a spokesperson for the company said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become the guardians of this iconic football club.”
The deal caps months of uncertainty for fans after the Premier League club struggled to find a buyer after a sale to Miami-based 777 Partners LLC fell through earlier this year.
Here’s everything you need to know about Toffees’ new owner, Dan Friedkin.
The Friedkin Group has closed a deal to acquire a majority stake in Everton
The deals end months of uncertainty after the Premier League club struggled to find a buyer after a sale to Miami-based 777 Partners LLC fell through earlier this year
Everton’s previous majority shareholder was Farhad Moshiri, who had a 94 percent stake
Who is Dan Friedkin?
Thomas Dan Friedkin is a 59-year-old American billionaire, who is also a Hollywood producer and stunt pilot with a passion for collecting vintage aircraft.
Friedkin is chairman and CEO of the Friedkin Group, a privately held group of companies and investors in the automotive, hospitality, entertainment, golf and adventure industries.
He holds several executive positions in corporate America and is “very active in conservation initiatives and various charitable endeavors in the fields of aviation and education.”
The billionaire owes his fortune to the auto industry and a long line of astute businessmen, having inherited Gulf States Toyota from his father, who founded the company in 1969.
The company, 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, one of the first budget airlines to arrive in the US.
Thomas Dan Friedkin is a 59-year-old American billionaire, who is also a Hollywood producer and stunt pilot with a passion for collecting vintage aircraft
How much is Dan Friedkin’s net worth?
According to Forbes, the owner and CEO of The Friedkin Group is worth $7.6 billion (£6.3 billion).
Family life
Dan is married to Debra Lynn Friedkin, the couple has four children together for a long time. Little is known about his children and wife.
His wife has supported a number of conservation, ecology and archaeology initiatives throughout her life, particularly in Texas, where the family lives, and in Tanzania, where the family has been committed to wildlife conservation since the 1980s.
According to Forbes, the owner and CEO of The Friedkin Group is worth $7.6 billion (£6.3 billion)
Company portfolio
After taking over the family business from his father, Dan grew the company exponentially and expanded into the film and hospitality industries.
The Friedkin Group also owns many luxury resorts and hotels, including properties in Aspen and Cabo San Lucas.
In 2020, The Friedkin Group expanded into the football industry when they acquired Roma for approximately £465 million.
The Friedkin Group also owns many luxury resorts and hotels, including properties in Aspen and Cabo San Lucas.
Hollywood, his directorial debut and stunt role in a blockbuster
Friedkin bought a majority stake in production company Neon in 2019, which produced major, critically acclaimed films such as Parasite.
The billionaire also made his directorial debut that 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,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Roberto de Niro.
Friedkin is not just an investor, however, the 59-year-old also likes to be involved in the sector.
He received an award for ‘Best Stunt Special’ for his role as a stunt pilot in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’.
Friedkin gave the award-winning director six of his own Spitfire aircraft for the war film and then landed one of his 76-year-old Spitfires on the beach for the Hollywood blockbuster.