Steve Lansdown personal fortune has fallen by £58million, according to the latest figures in the Sunday Times Rich List, with the Bristol City and Bristol Bears owner the 152nd wealthiest person in the United Kingdom.
Lansdown’s wealth is valued at £1.179billion, compared to £1.237bn in 2022, falling six places in the annual rankings, while over the last four years he’s lost £541m since a high of £1.72bn in 2019. The Bristolian billionaire, who resides in Guernsey, is also considered the fifth-wealthiest person in the south West.
Lansdown has invested a significant amount of his personal fortune in his sporting empire in Bristol, with an estimated £240m spent on Bristol City, while Premiership rugby side Bristol Bears hold debts of £51.2m most of which are owed to the 70-year-old, and therefore will be written off.
Both clubs boast world class training facilities in Failand and Abbots Leigh, respectively, while Ashton Gate has undergone a major makeover during his time as majority shareholder. But sustained success on the field continues to elude Lansdown as City remain a solid mid-table Championship side after a financial rebuild post-Covid with losses of £38.4m and £28.5m over the last two financial years.
The Bears, meanwhile, after reaching the Premiership semi-finals in 2021 and winning the European Challenge Cup in 2020 have experienced two underwhelming campaigns amid considerable financial change and uncertainty in England’s top flight.
Since 2021, Lansdown has been open in admitting he’s welcomed the idea of new investment into Bristol Sport, which could even include a full takeover but, as yet, he remains in control and the primary benefactor.
Speaking on BBC Radio Bristol before City’s final home game of the 2022/23 Championship season against Burnley, he revealed that he’s been in discussions with one overseas investor but nothing has come to fruition and he’s looking for the “right people” to take things forward.
"We’re talking to somebody but it’s been going on for a while so I don’t know if that’s going to happen or not. I’m in no rush, it’s got to be the right people who come in, they’ve got to add value, they’ve got to have the right funds to come in and do it," Lansdown said.
"It’s not a one-off payment, it’s an ongoing commitment. At some point I’m not going to be here so at the end of the day we’ve got to find new investment, we’ve got to find new people to take to the club forward and that’s my task over the next few years so the club’s in good hands going forward.
"If somebody wants to buy the whole club and it’s the right price and the right people then that will happen. I’m not going to stand in the way of anyone wanting to do that. I’m quite happy for the right people to have a minority investment in the club.”
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