Who is Bill Foley? How much is he worth? Potential Hibs investor is US billionaire who already owns EPL club and NHL franchise

Bill Foley is the name on the lips of every Hibs fan after it was revealed the US billionaire is in talks over acquiring a stake in the Easter Road club.

American businessman, Bill Foley, is interested in acquiring a stake in Hibs. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The 78-year-old, who already owns Bournemouth, plans to invest in Hibs with the ambition of helping turn the Edinburgh side into the undisputed third force in Scottish football behind Celtic and Rangers.

Hibs are currently owned by the family of Ron Gordon, who died earlier this year, and they have no desire to sell the club. However, they are open to the possibility of allowing Foley to come on board as a non-controlling investor, and discussions have already been held to that effect.

Foley, who has an estimated net worth of $1.6billion, is no stranger to football circles having acquired English Premier League side Bournemouth in 2022 before purchasing a minority stake in French club Lorient, which now partners the Cherries.

Acquiring an interest in Hibs would advance Foley’s multi-club ownership strategy, which will hold Bournemouth at its summit with various partner clubs underneath. He also owns Las Vegas ice hockey outfit Golden Knights.

Foley’s move to invest in Hibs comes just as the Scottish Football Association looks into relaxing rules that ban an organisation or individual having a controlling stake in two clubs at the same time.

Who is Bill Foley?

Born in Austin, Texas, on December 29, 1944, Foley is a former attorney who specialised in financial services. He was educated at the United States Military Academy and the University of Washington School of Law (J.D.). During his studies he made $40,000 on the stock market which he invested in during his spare time.

Following his father into the US Air Force, Foley was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, which saw him negotiate million-dollar defense contracts with Boeing. He then moved into corporate law before buying and revitalizing the then struggling title insurance firm Fidelity National Financial in 1984, which he still serves as chairman.

Foley is also the lead investor, chairman, and CEO of Black Knight Sports & Entertainment, a consortium that paid $500m to acquire the Vegas Golden Knights NHL franchise in 2016, and who won their first Stanley Cup in 2023.

He is also the current owner and chairman of AFC Bournemouth. After months of negotiations, his takeover of the club was finally approved by the Premier League in December 2022 following a stringent owners and directors test. Black Knight Football and Entertainment, of which Foley is the managing general partner, reportedly paid aroud £100m to secure a 100 per cent stake in the Cherries.

A month later, Foley was announced as having acquired a significant minority share in French Ligue 1 club FC Lorient.

As well as casting an eye to Scotland, Foley has also been announed by the Australian Professional Leagues as the preferred bidder to own a new A-Leagues expansion club based in Auckland, New Zealand. The licence would include both men’s and women’s teams to be introduced for upcoming 2024/25 season.

Foley has also invested in wineries, golf courses, hotels, ski resorts, steak houses, fast-food restaurants and auto parts manufacturers.