Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has an estimated net worth of £2.9bn (Image: Getty)
As Aston Martin struggle to find their way to the front of the Formula 1 grid in 2024, their billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll will be aware there are alternative and affordable options on the table in the Premier League if he ever decides he wants a new challenge.
The Canadian businessman possesses a net worth of around £2.9billion ($3.9bn) after making a number of shrewd investments in the world of fashion. Not only did he help bring Ralph Lauren to the European market, he used capital to invest in Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors before the brands exploded internationally.
He later sold his shares at a huge profit and began plotting his move into F1, buying a 25 per cent stake in Aston Martin in 2020 and renaming the Force India team after the British manufacturer.
But with Aston Martin only making a small dent in breaking into F1’s big three of Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari last season, he may consider using his extraordinary wealth to buy a football club instead.
It wouldn’t represent a huge expense for the 65-year-old, with data compiled by Sportico showing the combined value of all 20 Premier League clubs is currently £22.7bn.
Clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea are all worth several billion each and would require a huge bank loan to push through a takeover.
Lawrence Stroll is the owner of the Aston Martin F1 team and his son Lance races for them (Image: Getty)
But outside of the top six, West Ham (£535m) would be within Stroll’s budget range to approach should he ever decide to get into business with an English club. As of yet, there is no indication that is the case.
Beneath them are Everton (£485m), Leicester (£440m) and Newcastle (£355m), with Bournemouth valued at just £115m, making the Cherries an easy target for Stroll’s billions.
Southampton were purchased for £100m by Dragan Solak in 2022, and while there is no data to value the club two years later, it would be safe to assume the club’s value has risen since then.
The same would apply for Ipswich Town, who secured successive promotions from League One and the Championship to reach the top flight. Earlier in 2024, a US equity firm Bright Sports Partners purchased a 40 per cent stake for up to £105m, which would value the club at £212.5m overall.
Ipswich Town are worth an estimated £212m and would be well within Stroll’s sights (Image: Getty)
While the remaining 14 teams currently in the league would cost a combined £3.3bn, Stroll could afford to buy them altogether without West Ham and still have £100m left. However, running costs such as investment in transfers and stadium redevelopment means it would be unlikely that he would invest such a figure.
Stroll has also committed himself to turning Aston Martin into a powerbroker with the impending signing of F1’s renowned car designer Adrian Newey, who left Red Bull earlier this season.
His son, Lance, also drives for the team alongside Fernando Alonso, so it would take an enticing business opportunity to convince Stroll his business lies elsewhere outside of motorsport.
“I’ve always been a car guy since I was a child and I’ve always loved racing too,” Stroll said when he launched Aston Martin in 2021. “My first dream was to own a Formula 1 team and my second dream was to acquire a majority shareholding of Aston Martin.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1945100/F1-billionaire-Aston-Martin-Premier-League-takeover