The Billionaire Behind Aston Villa: How Wes Edens Changed Everything

When you look at our club Aston Villa today—it’s hard to overlook the impact co-owner Wes Edens has had on recent success. Alongside Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris (whom I wrote about a few weeks back), Edens has poured millions into Villa, transforming us from an underperforming football club with a fantastic history into a Premier League outfit competing at the top end of the league with European ambitions.

Edens was born on October 30, 1961, in Helena, Montana. He earned a degree in Finance and Business Administration from Oregon State University, setting him on a path to Wall Street.

He began his career in 1987 at Lehman Brothers, quickly rising to partner and managing director before moving to BlackRock in 1993. There, he worked in the private equity division until 1997. A year later, he co-founded Fortress Investment Group—an asset management firm that became the foundation of his wealth. In 2007, Fortress became the first publicly traded private equity firm in the US, listing on the New York Stock Exchange and making him a billionaire overnight.

Under Edens’ leadership, Fortress expanded into real estate, infrastructure, healthcare, and financial services. One of its key moves was acquiring Springleaf Financial (formerly AIG’s American General Finance), a struggling subprime lender turned success story that was eventually merged into what is now OneMain Financial.

Sport has become a key part of Edens’ portfolio. In 2014, he and Marc Lasry bought the Milwaukee Bucks for around £430 million. Under their leadership, the team won the NBA Championship in 2021 and is now valued at more than £2.4 billion. Edens also owned esports outfit FlyQuest before selling it in 2022.

His most important sporting move came in 2018 when he and Sawiris rescued our club from financial embarrassment that would have had Doug Ellis turning in his grave. They acquired a 55% stake for £30 million and took full control a year later. Since then, they’ve invested over £400 million in players, infrastructure, and other ventures related to our club. The result? Promotion, stability, and a club now valued at over £1 billion.

Wes Edens’ story is one of bold investments, long-term thinking, and a sharp eye for opportunity. From high finance to a Premier League football club and other sports investments, he’s made a habit of building value—and with a current estimated net worth of £2.8 billion, he has the means to keep doing it. UTV

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