One of the world’s richest men, Michael Saul Dell, founder of Dell Technologies, is reportedly backing a bid to buy Premier League club Everton. With an estimated wealth of £120 billion, Dell is using his “family office” to support a takeover offer by businessmen Andy Bell and George Downing.
In modern football, financial muscle is often a key factor in success, and clubs with deep pockets tend to dominate. Manchester City, owned by Abu Dhabi’s mega-rich owners, have won four consecutive Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola.
Everton, who finished 15th in the Premier League last season, are the target of this potential takeover. The club’s current owner, Farhad Moshiri, may grant Bell and Downing a period of exclusivity to seal a deal, with Dell’s MSD Partners on board to provide financial backing.
Dell, the 10th richest person in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, built his fortune from humble beginnings. He started his computer business with just $1000 in 1984 and sold $80,000 worth of computers by the second half of his freshman year at the University of Texas. He left college at 19 to run his company full-time, which went public in 1988. Dell stepped back as CEO in 2004 but remains chairman of the board.
This is not Dell’s first foray into football finance. In 2022, his investment group MSD UK Holdings provided a £20 million loan to English club West Bromwich Albion.
If the takeover bid is successful, Everton could potentially join the ranks of financially powerful clubs like Manchester City, with Dell’s backing providing a significant boost to their ambitions.