How John Textor made all his money as big Derby County takeover update emerges | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at how the former Crystal Palace stakeholder made his fortune

FLW takes a look at how John Textor made all his money amid reports that the American billionaire has placed Derby County firmly in his sights as a takeover option.

The former Crystal Palace stakeholder is apparently ready to make a formal move for the Rams after previously considering Sheffield Wednesday - according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon.

It is believed that Derby are reportedly valued at £60m, and Textor can either look to buy a minority or a majority stake in the club.

Derby's current owner, David Clowes, rescued the club from administration back in 2022, and has previously indicated a willingness to sell up to eighty percent of the club to external investors.

Seeing as though Textor's multi-club ownership model - Eagle Football Holdings - includes the likes of Brazilian outfit Botafogo and French side Lyon, how did he make all his money?

How John Textor started to earn his fortune

Textor served as co-chairman and CEO of Digital Domain from 2006 to 2012, which is where his early financial breakthrough came from.

During his tenure at the Hollywood visual effects company, Textor guided the firm through a New York Stock Exchange valuation of $450m at its peak.

From the experience page on Textor's own website, it states the company doubled its revenues in just three years and became recognised as a market leader in visual effects, winning multiple Academy Awards in the process.

Beyond Digital Domain, Textor's wealth continued to grow an estimated $500m through his private equity firm Wyndcrest Holdings.

John Textor netted lots of money from streaming platform FuboTV

If the earlier figures mentioned weren’t enough, Textor also made a lot of money through his involvement with streaming platform fuboTV - which isn't available in the UK but mainly in North America to watch different sports.

Through his backing of Facebank Group, which subsequently merged with fuboTV, Textor reportedly netted over $250m in shares and long-term value.

Overall, his combined earnings from all of these things mentioned have been estimated at over $900m - and that's without taking into account his previous investment in football.

How much John Textor made from selling his stake in Crystal Palace

Through his aforementioned holding company - Eagle Football Holdings - Textor has held stakes across a global portfolio of clubs spanning multiple continents and competitive levels.

His biggest asset remains his majority stake in Botafogo, and they've won the league and Copa Libertadores under Textor's ownership.

Along with Lyon being a regular in European competitions, Textor also owns Belgian side RWDM Brussells and an academy in Florida - namely called FC Florida. Earlier this year, the American sold his stake in Crystal Palace for a reported £190m.

What Derby County fans can gather from this is that Textor has a lot more money than Clowes, but everyone connected with the club knows this isn't always a good thing because of Mel Morris.

Regarding this potential takeover situation, FLW's Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, believes Clowes would make the right decision for the club though.

It's almost a given that any external investor would need to demonstrate a similar long-term vision and commitment at Pride Park that has been shown by Clowes, so it remains to be seen whether Textor is the right fit or not regardless of how much money he's made.