Amancio Ortega, the owner of the Inditex empire that owns the fashion chain Zara, is interested in buying Manchester United.
Ortega, 86, is worth $61.3billion, according to Forbes, and it is understood he has informed senior executives of his interest in United.
Technology giants Apple are also understood to be exploring a possible takeover after United’s owners, the Glazer family, confirmed they were receptive to selling the club.
Read more: Avram Glazer responds to Ronaldo saying owners don't care about United
Ortega owns 59% of Inditex and last year appointed his daughter, Maria Ortega Perez, as the chairwoman of the Zara fashion chain. His Artexio company that operates the eight retail stores generated revenue of €27.7bn in the year to January 31 2022.
Ortega has primarily invested into real estate in Madrid, Barcelona, London, Chicago, Miami and New York and has not ventured into the sporting world.
Apple, which pioneered the iPod, iPhone and MacBook products, has morphed into the world’s biggest technology company since it was founded by the late Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976.
The emergence on Tuesday night that the Glazer family is open to selling United has quickly piqued interest among the most affluent billionaires.
A spokesperson for Sir Jim Ratcliffe declined to comment on whether the lifelong United fan would bid for the club but the 70-year-old is understood to be interested in ending the Glazers’ 17-and-a-half year occupation.
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