Cardiff City ownership: A look at Vincent Tan source of wealth + net worth | OneFootball

Vincent Tan is the controversial owner of Cardiff City, and he has been at odds with the fans since buying the club.

Since purchasing control of the club in 2010, Tan has had trouble with seeing eye-to-eye with the fans. Despite investing significantly and writing off debts over the years, his off-the-pitch decisions have drawn the ire of the Bluebirds supporters, who on more than one occasion have demanded he sell his stake in the club.

His controversial change of the club's colours from blue to red in 2012, a change that lasted three years despite huge fan outcry, created a huge divide between the club and its supporters. The decision to sack Malky Mackay in 2013 was another huge one, albeit a choice that fans later learned Tan was in the right.

Tan has invested huge amounts of money keeping the club afloat, bankrolling two Premier League promotions and a League Cup final push during his reign as the club's owner. In this article, FLW will look at how Tan made his money, and his current net worth.

How Vincent Tan made his money

Tan's journey as an entrepreneur is an eclectic and interesting one. He first started working nearly three decades before he bought Cardiff, and it was a long way until he was rich enough to own a football club.

He originally intended to study law in New Zealand, but was forced into work at 17 due to his family's business failings. Tan worked in Malaysia as a bank clerk, and then as an insurance agent. He quickly rose up the ranks at the insurance company, becoming an insurance agent just a few years later.

He saved money, eventually investing in a McDonald's franchise at the age of 28. This was in 1982, and was the first restaurant of its kind to open in the country. He soon became the managing director of McDonald's in Malaysia, which was only the start of Tan's business empire.

In 1984, the Malaysian business turned his attention toward the Berjaya Corporation, purchasing a stake in the company. He then purchased 51% of Sports Toto, swapping those shares for a controlling stake in Berjaya. He helped expand the business into the company it is today, with a £1.6 billion yearly revenue.

With the incredible wealth he earned as the owner of Berjaya, Tan managed to purchase Cardiff City Football Club in 2010. He spent £6 million acquiring 35% of the club's share, and has invested more than £200 million of his own money into the club.

Vincent Tan's Net Worth

Given how many thriving businesses Tan has had a hand in over the past four decades, it is no surprise to see how high his net worth is said to be.

According to estimates at Forbes, Tan's net work currently stands at $730 million, which is around £580 million in sterling. This is a more than 50% drop from his peak net worth, which stood at $1.6 billion (£1.27 billion) in 2015.

This also makes him the 29th wealthiest man in Malaysia, according to a Forbes list of the richest Malaysians in 2024. It also ranks him as richer than two owners of Premier League clubs, as he has a higher net worth than the owners of both Nottingham Forest and Brentford.