Suddenly, the name of billionaire Hansjörg Weiss is at the top of the media attention, and he has been linked to the acquisition of English club Chelsea from Russian businessman Roman Abramovich. Who is this Swiss who has nothing to do with football? What is his relationship with US President Joe Biden?
Weiss told Swiss newspaper Blake that he was considering buying Chelsea, adding in an interview published on Wednesday, “Abramovich is currently trying to sell all the properties he owns in England and he also wants to get rid of the club as soon as possible. I and 3 others received offers to buy.”
The Swiss billionaire, who is worth about $6 billion, was born into a modest family in Bern and began his successful career in American business after graduating from Harvard. He has worked in the textile and automotive industries before focusing on advanced medical devices.
A report on the French RMC website said Weiss was known in the United States for his close ties to President Biden’s Democratic Party, and he was one of the top donors to the party’s activities.
The site said that Weiss has been passionate about donating to environmental causes over the past few years, also donating to support issues that intersect with Democratic interests and helping the party through the electoral process until Biden is elected president.
weiss and football
He is known for his love of skiing, but he has never been associated with football before. In an interview with the Blake newspaper, the Swiss billionaire said he will have to wait four to five days to see how it turns out.
“I’m thinking of making an offer for Chelsea with a partner, but first I have to double check the general situation. I can say, I’m definitely not going to do something like this myself. If I buy Chelsea, I’ll do it with six or seven investors formed a consortium.
It follows Russian businessman Roman Abramovich’s earlier decision to sell Chelsea Football Club, pledging to donate the money to help victims of the Ukraine war.
Roman Abramovich bought the West End club in 2003, and his investment helped lead to the most successful period in Chelsea’s history, winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two European league champion.
Abramovich, who holds dual Israeli and Portuguese citizenship, made his fortune after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and became one of Russia’s most powerful businessmen. Forbes magazine estimates his net worth to be around $13.3 billion.