Who is Kyril Louis-Dreyfus? The man behind the Black Cats takeover
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has completed his purchase of Sunderland AFC – but who is he?
The 23-year-old has assumed control of the Black Cats following approval from the EFL.
Stewart Donald, Juan Sartori and Charlie Methven could yet retain minority stakes in the Wearside club.
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.
Do the Louis-Dreyfus family have history in sport?
Yes – the family previously owned French side Marseille before selling the club to former LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt 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 Louis-Dreyfus worth?
It’s unclear how much Kyril himself is worth, but the vast wealth of his own family is well-publicised.
Forbes estimated his mother, Margarita, to be worth approximately $5.6billion dollars in August of last 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?
Not a lot at this early stage, but the deal has been in the pipeline a while. Louis-Dreyfus has been mentioned in dispatches for months, and agreed a provisional deal announced on Christmas Eve.