Twice he was a refugee, now Dr Koukash is a millionaire
FORMER Salford Red Devils boss and racehorse owner, Dr Marwan Koukash, this week stared in an episode of My Millionaire Migrant Boss. In the Channel 4 show, he offered a two-week work placement to four jobless Brits. But who is Dr Marwan Koukash? And how did he make his money? NEAL KEELING reports. CHARISMA was not something suave Dr Marwan Koukash was short of when he took over Salford Red Devils in 2013.
Flamboyant from the start - sunglasses, smart suits and fearless in expressing his opinions - he brought the club back into Rugby League’s top flight. The self-made businessman defied an impoverished childhood to become a billionaire - but his spectacular climb to the top was not without graft and knockbacks.
Koukash was born on December 3 1958 on the West Bank in Palestine.
When he was seven his family farm was bombed and his mother walked him and his seven siblings for three days to sanctuary in Jordan.
On the way they were forced to hide in a cave outside his home village of Burin to shelter from aircraft attacks. He became a refugee for a second time when his family was forced to leave Jordan for Kuwait. Study was his way out of poverty and his father was able to send him, aged 17, to Liverpool to get an education. In 1976, he came to Britain after fleeing his homeland with £200.
He lived in St Helens, studying at the local technical college. He graduated from Liverpool John Moores University and progressed to get a PhD in electrical engineering.
To pay his way through university he worked as a waiter, mechanic, market trader and bouncer.
He taught at the university for five years, and was appointed director of international business.
In 1992, he set up EuroMaTech, a corporate training company - the foundation for much of his wealth.
Yet when when he first met local girl Mandy, now his wife, 26 years ago, she was managing the restaurant of a Liverpool hotel and he had hit rock bottom.
He told the Racing Post last year: “I’d lost everything I had, literally overnight.”
Then, his bank manager took him for a day out at the racing at Haydock. The next day he bought his first horse. It came in last but by the end of the year Terminate at Warwick became his first winner.
By 2012 his strong team of horses - carrying his famous grey and gold silks - brought him 101 winners - and £1m in prize money.
The value of his current wealth is unknown but has been said by others to range between £900m and £3bn. Embracing northern life, his interest in rugby started by watching St Helens.
A chance meeting on a flight to Dubai with the Rugby Football League chief executive alerted him to Salford’s financial peril and sowed the seeds of his decision to take over the club.
Without his financial backing they could well be out of business, with the club close to liquidation when he took control.
But his tenure was peppered with controversy and he was regularly at loggerheads with the RFL.
Last year Salford’s City Mayor, Paul Dennett, said he was not happy about the idea of changing the club’s name to ‘Manchester Red Devils.’
Supporters agreed and said a name change would be ‘throwing away almost 140 years of history.’
In April last year Dr Koukash and his pal Leigh Centurions’ boss, Derek Beaumont, starred on the ITV show Judge Rinder to solve a longrunning disagreement over the signing of a player back in 2015.
Last season Salford were flying high in the Betfred Super League, but there was concern about poor matchday crowds. The stadium in Barton, shared with Sale Sharks, is also widely derided for its location and poor access.
In September last year he announced he would hand over control to a community trust.
His presence at the club went down well with most fans - through his brashness he appeared to be a genuine supporter and says he will remain ‘a devoted fan and sponsor.’
Salford is now run by a not-forprofit holding company, Salford RD Holdings.