Michael Ashley
REAL TIME NET WORTH — as of 4/29/17
$2.8 B
Executive chairman of sports retailer Sports Direct, Michael Ashley took over as CEO in September 2016 after his longtime CEO Dave Forsey resigned. Ashley founded the company in 1982 when he was 18 years old and eventually took it public in 2007, pocketing $1.8 billion from the IPO. The company now has 700 stores and owns such brands as Dunlap and Everlast. The same year as the IPO he bought Premier League soccer club Newcastle for a reported $181 million. He tried to sell the team the next year citing heavy debts; in 2011 he upset fans by temporarily renaming the home stadium Sports Direct Arena. Ashley has also drawn criticism for buying a stake in Rangers F.C. in 2014, a Scottish soccer club, due to concerns about a conflict of interest.
Source:forbes