John Textor has revived his interest in an Everton takeover.
The American has come back to the table after the Friedkin Group pulled out of a purchase last month, having been given exclusivity by majority owner Farhad Moshiri.
Everton are again on the market, with 777 Partners’ deal collapsing at the end of May. They agreed to buy Moshiri’s 94.1% stake in September 2023 but failed to get Premier League ratification.
And after reportedly growing frustrated about the lack of influence he has at Palace, Textor is looking at alternative Premier League clubs – with one being Everton.
What’s been said
Textor spoke to The Athletic in May when he revealed his interest in buying Everton. He said: “Yes [he has discussed Everton]. With the existing constituents – different groups, different lenders, different equity holders. I’ve asked them: ‘Is there a way to solve all this confusion and address everyone’s problems?’ I’m very open-minded to it but I don’t want to come into a situation where I’m not really welcome.
I’m watching it but 777 still has a contract.“We’re also looking at other opportunities and we don’t need to jump right out of Palace right into something. That’d be a mistake. I suspect that the problem with Everton is it won’t be available by the time we would be ready for it. You can’t own two clubs in one league and we’re not going to rush the situation at Palace, no matter how good another opportunity looks.”
How did John Textor build his wealth?
Textor has a technology background. His website describes him as a ‘globally recognised, pioneer and developer of disruptive technologies, creative content, and digital distribution business models for media, entertainment and the internet’.
The 58-year-old is the former executive chairman of fuboTV, which holds rights to the Premier League, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS, and is known for his work in visual effects in Hollywood. In 2012, his company Digital Domain created the hologram of the late rapper Tupac, who performed at the 2012 Coachella Music Festival.
How long has been involved in Crystal Palace?
Textor purchased his stake in Palace in August 2021. He paid a reported £86 million for a 40% share. Last year, he increased his stake by 5% after injecting a further £30 million into the club.
He also owns Ligue 1 side Lyon. Initially purchasing a 40% stake, he took his share to 77.5% in December 2022. The overall deal was reportedly in the region of £730 million.
How much is John Textor worth?
There is no clear indication of Textor’s wealth. However, Eagle Football Holding board member James Dinan, founder of York Capital Management, is said to be worth £1.65 billion, while fellow director Alex Knaster had an estimated wealth of £1.3 billion in 2022 per Bloomberg.
According to Forbes’ Most Valuable Soccer Teams 2024, Palace is worth circa £610 million, which would mean that Eagle Football Holding’s share comes out to around £274.5 million.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Textor’s football stable was worth around £780 million when in the process of his initial investment in Lyon. Therefore, it would have increased to around £940 million after upping his stake. Meanwhile, netwealth.biz claims that Teztor’s net wealth is around £3.37 billion.
The Sunday Times Rich List 2024 estimated Moshiri to have a wealth of £1.5 billion.