Source - Bernama via Utusan
KUALA LUMPUR Aug 17 - AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes is close to buying a 51 per cent controlling stake in the English Premier League Football Club, Queens Park Rangers (QPR), according to several reports today.
He is reported to be on the verge of buying Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone’s controlling stake in QPR for about $196 (RM583) million. The deal is likely to be announced soon.
Ecclestone reportedly owns 66 per cent of the club, with Indian steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, the other major shareholder with 33 per cent. Former Renault Formula 1 team boss Flavio Briatore owns one per cent.
QPR has been majority-owned by Ecclestone for the last five years and he has wanted to sell for some time.
Fernandes, who also owns the Team Lotus Formula 1 outfit, added fuel to the takeover speculation on Saturday when he watched the team’s 4-0 defeat to Bolton from the directors’ box at Loftus Road.
The Wall Street Journal today reported that Fernandes was set to buy a 51 per cent stake in the English Premier League Football Club from Ecclestone and he was said to be purchasing the stake with Mittal, who already owns a third of the club.
If the deal goes through, Fernandes would be the latest in a string of Asian businessmen to invest in English soccer clubs. Previously, exiled Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra bought Manchester City and Hong Kong’s Carson Yeung bought Birmingham City.
Citing people with knowledge of the transaction, another daily, Financial Times, also reported that Fernandes was poised to take majority control of QPR as early as Monday, but cautioned the deal had not been sealed and could be delayed or even collapse as the parties sought to reach an agreement on the final details.
The price was unclear, although those close to the deal said Fernandes would not be paying anything close to the RM488 million Ecclestone was said to be seeking.
Fernandes, a West Ham fan, has several times tried and failed to buy West Ham United, the biggest soccer club in east London.
Last week, Fernandes, through Tune Air, acquired informal control of Malaysia Airlines by holding 20.5 per cent stake in the national carrier, through a share swap arrangement with government investment arm Khazanah Nasional, which in return will be holding a 10 per cent share in AirAsia Berhad.
Last year, Forbes Asia valued Fernandes” personal wealth at US$330 million (RM982 million), ranking him at No 19 on the list of Malaysia”s richest.
@tonyfernandes - "latest bid has drawn some interest among locals here."
Among them is Rembau Member of Parliament and former deputy president of Football Association of Malaysia Khairy Jamaluddin who tweeted: “Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, now that you own QPR, can you please bring Safee Sali (national footballer) over to play in the Premiership?"
Safee is currently the first Malaysian footballer to play at the Indonesian Super League with Pelita Jaya.
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