Football is big business – bigger business than it’s ever been, in fact – and the English game is certainly no exception.

Over the past two decades, billionaires around the world have invested their immense fortunes in the Premier League and beyond.

Rather than calling everyone involved in English football and asking for their net worth, which would have been time consuming and ineffective, we used the Forbes rich list (opens in a new tab) as a basis, and simply chose people with interests in English football.

You might notice a few interesting omissions, like Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, or Newcastle’s new Saudi bosses – it’s because of collective rather than individual wealth, or simply because their value cannot be confirmed.

But who are the most notable personalities in English football at the moment? TFF makes you discover the top 10…

10. Guo Guangchang, Wolves (£3.5bn)

Guo Guangchang’s Fosun International conglomerate took over Wolves in the summer of 2016, and their backing saw the West Midlands club re-establish themselves in the top flight.

Based in Shanghai, the 55-year-old studied philosophy at university and dubbed himself “the Chinese Warren Buffett”.

9. Todd Boehly, Chelsea (£3.6bn)

Todd Boehly’s consortium completed their £4.25 billion takeover of Chelsea in May this year, officially ending the Roman Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge.

The 48-year-old American is also a co-owner of baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers and basketball’s Los Angeles Lakers.

8. Hansjorg Wyss, Chelsea (£4bn)

Joining Boehly on the Stamford Bridge board is 86-year-old Swiss businessman Hansjorg Wyss – who Forbes described as “one of the most philanthropic people in the world“.

Strongly committed to environmental causes, Wyss has pledged to donate $1 billion to global conservation efforts by 2028.

7. Daniel Kretinsky, West Ham (£4.1bn)

Already co-owner and chairman of Sparta Prague, Czech lawyer Daniel Kretinsky bought a 27% stake in West Ham in November 2021 – while accepting the option to buy the club in the future.

And the Hammers aren’t Kretinsky’s only business interest in England; the 46-year-old also owns 10% of Sainsbury’s.

=5. Josh Harris, Crystal Palace (£4.3bn)

Josh Harris invested in Crystal Palace alongside David Blitzer in 2017, adding the Eagles to a sports portfolio that includes the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team and the New Jersey Devils ice hockey team.

A sports fanatic, the Harvard Business School grad struggled through college – and now competes in marathons and triathlons.

=5. Joe Lewis, Tottenham (£4.3bn)

Born above his father’s pub in London’s East End, Tottenham majority owner Joe Lewis made his fortune as a forex trader and also has business interests in property and hospitality.

The elusive 85-year-old acquired a majority stake in Spurs from Alan Sugar in 2001 when Daniel Levy, chief executive of Lewis’s ENIC group, became chairman.

4. Nassef Sawiris, Aston Villa (£5.8bn)

Belonging to the richest family in Egypt, Nassef Sawiris tops Forbes The richest Arabs in the world (opens in a new tab) listing; the 61-year-old owns Aston Villa alongside US billionaire Wes Edens.

A major player in the chemical and construction sectors, Sawiris also holds stakes in MSG sports – which owns the New York Knicks in basketball and the New York Rangers in ice hockey – and Adidas.

3. Shahid Khan, Fulham (£5.9bn)

Owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team since 2011, Pakistani-American businessman Shahid Khan bought Fulham from Mohamed Al Fayed in 2013.

The 71-year-old moved to the United States when he was 16 and, after earning a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Illinois, made his fortune in the automotive industry.

2. Stan Kroenke, Arsenal (£8.8bn)

Involved with Arsenal since 2007, American property and sports mogul Stan Kroenke took outright ownership of the Gunners in 2018 when he bought Alishmer Usmanov’s stake in the club.

Away from north London, the 74-year-old owns MLS team Colorado Rapids – as well as ice hockey’s Colorado Avalanche, basketball’s Denver Nuggets and defending Super Bowl champions the Rams of Los Angeles.

1. Lakshmi Mittal, QPR (£13bn)

Co-owner of Championship outfit QPR, Lakshmi Mittal is the richest person in English football – and, according to Forbes, the 102nd richest person in the world as of June 2022.

The 71-year-old Indian steel magnate became a member of the Loftus Road board in 2007, alongside his friend Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore – who have since left the club.