Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles
(Picture: USA TODAY Sports)In the early hours of this morning, on this side of the pond at least, the Kansas City Chiefs triumphed in the 2023 Superbowl, a brilliant game.
The other winners include the Hunt family, one of the richest in America, who own the team.
Their estimated $20 billion fortune comes from oil in the 1930s and silver in the 1980s. The energy deals were initially funded by money that maths genius HL Hunt made from poker gambling.
They have always liked a punt.
Lamar Hunt helped set up the American Football League, acquiring what is now the Chiefs franchise (it was in Dallas originally, it’s a long story) for $25,000 decades ago.
According to Forbes, the Chiefs are now worth $3.7 billion, which is a 15 million% return on investment.
The Hunt’s also have a stake in the Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas.
Would they ponder a swoop on a UK Premier League football team?
Well, why not.
Not so long ago, the cliched joke went: how do you make a million? Start with a billion and buy a British football team.
That’s no longer true. UK football clubs, large and small, are attracting interest from all sorts of unlikely places from Hollywood movie stars down.
The buyers have noticed that our teams and the TV rights to watch them always sell for more than they did the last time.
When the US Glazer family bought Manchester United for £800 million many thought they were fools. They are now looking to sell it for five or six billion quid.
Fans who saw the Hunt’s snap up their own team should be thankful and excited. They know how to make money and win trophies at the same time.
