What Turki Alalshikh’s net worth is as Millwall FC takeover bid is eyed | OneFootball

The Saudi Arabian businessman is reportedly interested in investing in the Lions

Saudi Arabian royal minister and businessman Turki Alalshikh has reportedly held talks with representatives of Championship club Millwall ahead of potentially investing in the Lions, following his successes in boxing over recent years.

Millwall's most recent Championship exploits saw them finish eighth under the guidance of Scottish boss Alex Neil, and they seem to have become the second-tier's perennial 'nearly men' over the last few years, having finished in the top-half in six of the last eight seasons, but not made the play-offs in any of those campaigns.

The south-east London outfit are set for an important summer of transfer dealings as they aim to build a squad worthy of competing near the top of the division, and they could be in line for a huge boost to their finances if recent reports are to be believed.

New claims from the Daily Mail have emerged that 43-year-old Alalshikh has led discussions between Saudi investors and Millwall's board in regards to a potential takeover attempt at The Den.

The Lions' hierarchy have since insisted that the club is not for sale and denied that discussions have been held, but the Saudi Arabian mogul has fuelled rumours even further by interacting with their social media posts using his personal X account.

Turki Alalshikh's reported net worth amid Millwall takeover links

Alalshikh's wealth has been garnered from numerous different business ventures, after he initially started out working in numerous government sectors in Saudi Arabia before he was appointed as an adviser to the royal court in 2015 and then promoted to the rank of minister two years later.

He was handed the reins of the General Entertainment Authority in 2018, which governs and regulates Saudi's entertainment industry. He has used his power to make the country a bigger force on a global and cultural scale, especially in the world of sports.

The 43-year-old has brokered numerous deals to bring high-profile, world-title boxing fights to his country in recent times, and is now one of the most recognisable figures in the sport. Just last year he acquired 'The Ring' magazine, the most prestigious of its kind in the boxing world.

He also took ownership of Spanish football club Almeria in 2019, but cut ties with the club last week as he seemingly plans for his next venture in England.

Alalshikh is a supremely wealthy man, and he is estimated to have a net worth of around $2.8 billion (£2.14 billion) right now due to his work within the Saudi Arabian government and numerous business ventures.

Alalsheikh is not only wealthy, but clearly has a passion for sports that extends beyond his love for boxing. He looks to be set on investing in an English football club before long, as just last month, talkSPORT's Simon Jordan revealed that 'His Excellency' had asked him about which teams he felt he should look to invest in.

Jordan insisted that the 43-year-old take on Sheffield Wednesday, who have endured years of turmoil at board level under Dejphon Chansiri's stewardship, but he instead looks to have registered an interest in purchasing their Championship rivals in Millwall.

Should the Saudi Arabian tycoon take charge at The Den, he would become one of the second-tier's and EFL's richest owners. Queens Park Rangers' owner Lakshmi Mittal, for example, is the richest in the Championship, with his net worth believed to be over £13 billion right now.

The current second-richest owners in the EFL are actually believed to be overseeing proceedings at League One outfit Barnsley. Neerav Parekh, Julie Anne Quay, Chien Lee and the Cryne Family are believed to have a combined wealth of around £7.2 billion, with Parekh hailing from a family that boasts a combined net worth of £11.6 billion through part-ownership of India-based sealant company Pidilite Industries.

In third place are Championship high-flyers Leeds United, with the American-based York Family, who also own 49ers Enterprises alongside the Whites, thought to be worth around £4.9 billion right now. Stoke City are not too far behind as the fourth-richest, with club chairman and bet365 co-founder John Coates believed to boast a current net worth of £3.6 billion.

The Championship understandably produces the majority of the wealthiest owners in the EFL, with it being the highest league in the pyramid just below the Premier League, and if Alalshikh was to take over from Millwall Holdings Ltd and James Berylson at The Den soon, he would be up there as one of the most affluent in the second-tier.