Who is the man at forefront of Cats’ takeover?
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is reportedly behind a bid to purchase Sunderland AFC – but who is he?
The 22- year-old is understood to form part of a consortium, also involving Juan S art ori, who are set to purchase a majority stake in the club.
Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven would retain minority stakes of 15 per cent and 5 per cent respectively, according to the Guardian.
But it’s Louis-Dreyfus who has got fans talking – and here’s everything you need to know about him…
Who is Kyril Louis-Dreyfus?: Born in 1997, Louis-Dreyfus is the son of Margarita and the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus.
Robert’s family founded the Louis-Dreyfus group in 1851, with the company – based in Switzerland – a global leader in agriculture, food processing, international shipping and finance.
After Robert’s passing in 2009, Margarita took over the running of the company.
It remains unclear how much involvement, if any, Kyril has in the firm.
Dothe-Louis-Dreyfus family have history in sport?: Yes – the family previously owned French side Marseille before selling the club to former LA Dodgers owner Fr an kMc Court in August 2016.
Robert had purchased the club in 1996 and oversaw a successful period on the field at the Stade Velodrome – with the club twice making it to the UEFA Cup Final.
The family also held a minority share in Belgian side Standard Liege. Kyril was a regular supporter of Marseille during the period in which his family owned the club, regularly attending games.
How much is Kyril LouisDreyfus worth?: It’s unclear how much Kyril himself is worth, but the vast wealth of his own family is well-publicised.
Forbes estimated his moth
er, Margarita, to be worth approximately $5.6billion dollars in August of this year – giving the family some real spending power. Some reports have suggested that Kyril has a trust fund worth in excess of $2billion. How much of that will trickle through to Sunderland remains to be seen.
What do we know about Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ takeover bid?: The Guardian claim that he and Sartori are set to purchase a majority stake in the club – having kicked-off conversations six months ago.
They suggest terms have been agreed with Stewart Donald and a deal could be done within the next fortnight.