Who are Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens? The newest investors in Aston Villa Football Club

It feels like a typical Aston Villa transfer. #WelcomeSawiris & #WelcomeEdens! And everyone quickly jumps to Google, Transfermaket, and YouTube to figure out who the people actually are.

Aston Villa announced Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens — by way of NSWE company (which, credit to James Rushton for noticing, probably stands for Nassef Sawiris & Wes Edens) — have injected “significant investment capital into the Club.” Bloomberg reports Sawiris and Eden’s group will control a 55 percent stake in the team. So let’s find out who these men are.

Nassef Sawiris

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Well let’s start with the top line. Sawiris is quite wealthy and that is an understatement. Bloomberg lists him as the #234 on the Billionaires index with $6.91/£5.27 Billion.

Egypt’s richest person owns 30 percent of OCI, a Geleen, Netherlands-based contractor which was formed out of a demerger from his family’s original business, Orascom Contruction. His other assets include 5.7 percent of sportswear company Adidas and four percent of LafargeHolcim, the world’s biggest cement maker.

Forbes has Sawiris listed #550 on their global list & #6 in Africa ($4 billion).

Naguib Sawiris is a scion of Egypt’s wealthiest family. His father Onsi and brother Nassef are also billionaires.

He built a fortune in telecom, but in 2017 stepped down as CEO of Orascom Telecom Media & Technology (OTMT).

In 2011, Sawiris sold Orascom Telecom to Russian telecom firm VimpelCom in a multi-billion dollar stock and cash transaction.

Sawiris acquired a nearly 20% stake in Australia-listed gold mining firm Evolution Mining.

He also owns nearly 20% of Toronto-listed Endeavour Mining, which operates gold mines in West Africa.

Fortress Investment Group co-Founder Wes Edens

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Wes Edens co-founded Fortress Investment Group which was sold for $3.3 billion in cash early this year. Edens’ total take from selling his stock was over $500 million. Edens still sits on the board as a Principal and Co-Chief Executive Officer (according to the website).

Edens is a co-owner of the NBA team Milwaukee Bucks — having been part of a group that purchased the team four years ago.

In January 2017, Edens founded FlyQuest — an esports franchise with a team that competes in the North America League of Legends Championship Series.

Edens is an avid mountain climber and would like to scale Everest someday.