Who is Dan Friedkin? New owner of Everton FC
DAN Friedkin will be the new owner of Everton FC after striking a deal with Farhad Moshiri.
The American billionaire is buying Farhad’s 94.1% stake in the club, which he will add to his huge business portfolio.
The deal has been a long time coming and Everton’s new owner is a big football fan.
Here’s everything you need to about Dan Friedkin.
Texas-rich
Dan was born in San Diego, California, and studied for his Bachelor’s degree at Georgetown University.
He later graduated from Rice University with a masters degree and, as of September 2024, he lives in Houston with his wife Debra and his four children.
The billionaire is the son of Thomas H. Friedkin, who founded Gulf States Toyota Distributors.
The company is a private distributor of Toyota vehicles in the USA and, at one point, the company’s sales accounted for 13% of all Toyota sales in the country.
Also, the company is owned by the Friedkin Group which is a holding group for all of the family’s assets.
The group describes itself as a “privately held consortium of businesses and investments in the automotive, hospitality, entertainment, sports and adventure industries”.
By 35, Dan oversaw both Gulf States Toyota Distributors and the Friedkin Group.
Movie star
Dan owns Neon, an independent film company which produced the smash-hit film Parasite.
He also owns Imperative Entertainment, a studio that produced Martin Scorcese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, The Mule, The Square and Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World.
The billionaire is no stranger to the camera himself, as he piloted his vintage spitfire in the 2017 film Dunkirk for which he won a Taurus Stunt Award for Best Speciality Stunt.
Hard-won deal
The Friedkin Group agreed to acquire Everton FC on September 23, 2024.
The deal is expected to be finished by the end of 2024 and is believed to have valued the football club at £500million.
American businessman and Crystal Palace owner John Textor had previously tried to buy the club but could not complete the deal.
This is because Premier League rules prohibit individuals from owning more than one team.
The Friedkin Group have expressed excitement about the deal.
They said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club.
“We are focused on securing the necessary approvals to complete the transaction.
“We look forward to providing stability to the club, and sharing our vision for its future, including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”
Dan has some experience with football already, as he owns the Italian club AS Roma.