Atairos, a strategic investment firm based in the United States, has finalized its previously announced agreement to become a minority partner in V Sports, the parent company of Aston Villa Football Club.
V Sports, the collaborative venture between Nassef Sawiris and Wesley Edens, will maintain full ownership of Aston Villa, retaining complete authority over club operations. The addition of Atairos as a minority partner brings Michael Angelakis, Chairman and CEO of Atairos, and Chester Hall, Managing Director of Atairos, onto the Villa board. Additionally, Bashir Lebada from Canada and Sarah Louise Waterson from the United States have been appointed to the board.
The investment from Atairos, which boasts $6.5 billion in equity capital, will be directed towards infrastructure enhancements and growth initiatives, aimed at generating substantial and sustainable value for V Sports.
In a joint statement, Sawiris and Edens expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership with Atairos, emphasising its potential to facilitate infrastructure development and foster long-term growth for Aston Villa and the wider V Sports network.
"Atairos brings valuable expertise and a successful track record in partnering with prominent companies across the leisure, sports, live entertainment, and media sectors, including in the UK and Europe," the statement read. "We are confident that Atairos is the ideal strategic partner to support our future growth trajectory, and we extend a warm welcome to the Atairos team as part of the V Sports family."