The 8 richest EFL Championship owners in 2026 ranked | OneFootball

Ranking the top 8 richest owners in the Championship

The Championship’s 24 clubs have a wide range of different types of owners.

American ownership has increased over the last decade, but there are still a few locally-based business people in charge, such as Steve Gibson at Middlesbrough.

English football has become so lucrative that it has led to people coming from all over the world looking to get a slice of the pie.

A popular strategy has been to buy a club in the EFL and try to build a side capable of earning their way to the riches of the Premier League.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney both put two well-known faces to this idea when they bought Wrexham five years ago, and their rapid rise has earned them a lot of attention from outside the football world, particularly with the success of Welcome to Wrexham, the Disney+ series.

But there are many examples across the Championship of this style of ownership, with a lot of wealthy business people joining the league as a result.

Here we look at the eight wealthiest owners in the division, based on net worth figures…

8 ? ? Tom Wagner - Birmingham City

Tom Wagner is the Birmingham City chairman, with his company, Knighthead Capital purchasing a 45.98 percent stake in the club in 2023.

The business officially purchased the remaining 51.1 percent in 2025, giving him almost complete control of the Midlands outfit.

While Tom Brady is also involved in the ownership at St. Andrew’s, the former NFL star’s stake is worth just 3.3 percent of the Championship side.

It has been claimed that Wagner’s overall net worth is £1.34 billion, making him the eighth-wealthiest owner of a team in the second division.

But if the American has his way, then he’ll soon be off this list because his sights are firmly set on bringing Birmingham back to the Premier League for the first time since 2011.

7 ? ? Mark Attanasio - Norwich City

Norwich City were owned by local celebrity Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn-Jones for over two decades.

The former TV chef was an integral part of the day-to-day running at Carrow Road, having come on board as a shareholder in 1996.

The couple still hold 10 percent of the Norfolk outfit, but Mark Attanasio is the majority shareholder, owning 85 percent.

The American completed the deal in 2025, with Smith and Wynn-Jones stepping down from the board as a result.

Attanasio has a reported net worth of $1.9 (£1.39) billion, making him the seventh-wealthiest owner in the division.

However, the threat of relegation to League One this season puts his place on this list at risk.

6 ? ? The Venky’s - Blackburn Rovers

The Venky’s, run by the Rao family, have been the owner at Blackburn Rovers since November 2010.

They bought the Lancashire outfit when they were established in the Premier League, but it only took a couple of years under the Indian ownership before they plummeted into the EFL.

The Rao family are reportedly worth £1.66 billion, but financial issues have still plagued Rovers in recent years despite the owners’ vast wealth.

The team have struggled for consistent results this season, and they are even at risk of relegation to League One as a result.

Blackburn won the Premier League in 1995, but could be competing in the third tier for the second time in the last decade unless results improve soon.

5 ? ? John Coates - Stoke City

John Coates’ ownership of Stoke City dates back to August 2020, when he was made outright owner of the club.

A restructuring decoupled the Potters from the Coates’ family business, Bet365, putting the 56-year-old in control.

Coates is believed to be worth $2.6 (£1.9) billion, although it was reported in 2025 that the family are weighing up the sale of their betting business, which is being valued at £9 billion.

If that sale were to go through, then there’s no doubt that the Stoke owner would shoot up this list, as he would be entitled to a share of the sale figure.

For now, his focus will be on helping Mark Robins’ side compete for promotion back to the Premier League.

4 ? ? Stephen Lansdown - Bristol City

Stephen Lansdown’s involvement with Bristol City dates all the way back to 1996, first joining as part of the board.

The billionaire has been very involved with the Robins in the three decades since, although there have been reports that his stake in the club is for sale in recent years.

Lansdown has a reported net worth of $3.1 (£2.3) billion, making him the fourth-wealthiest owner of a club in the Championship.

Bristol City narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in 2025, losing in the play-offs to Sheffield United.

It remains to be seen for how much longer he will be a majority shareholder at Ashton Gate, but he will surely be targeting top flight football while he remains in charge.

3 ? ? Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha - Leicester City

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has been in charge of Leicester City since the passing of his father Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 2018.

The Thai businessman has a net worth of $3.5 (£2.56) billion, making him the third-wealthiest owner in the Championship.

However, the Foxes have struggled with financial issues in recent years, with the pandemic having a difficult impact on the Srivaddhanaprabha family’s business, King Power.

The Foxes have also been unable to comply with the Premier League and EFL’s financial rules, which led to them receiving a six point deduction penalty in 2025/26, putting them at risk of relegation to League One a decade on from their remarkable Premier League triumph under Claudio Ranieri.

2 ? ? Joshua Friedman - Charlton Athletic

Joshua Friedman led a consortium that bought Charlton Athletic in April 2023, and he has so far helped the Addicks gain promotion back to the Championship since then.

It was reported that the takeover cost £10.5 million, with the American taking charge of the London outfit after a difficult period under Charlie Methven.

Friedman is understood to have a net worth of £3.68 billion, and supporters will be hoping that this wealth can help the Addicks’ grow their stature within the game.

Charlton have been out of the Premier League since 2007, but perhaps this new ownership can guide the team back to the top flight in the long run.

1 ? ? Gamechanger 20 Ltd - Ipswich Town

Gamechanger 20 Ltd have held a majority stake in Ipswich Town since April 2021, although the ownership was restructured in 2025.

The company is still listed as the owner of the Suffolk outfit, but they received fresh investment from the Three Lions fund and Clara Vista Partners as part of Portman Holdings.

Ed Sheeran also has a minor stake in the club, with the singer owning around 1.4 percent of Ipswich.

Their time in charge of the club has been a massive success, with Kieran McKenna’s side climbing from League One to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions.

However, relegation in 2025 led to the team returning to the Championship, with their sights set on returning to the top flight.

It’s been reported that Gamechanger 20 Ltd have a net worth of $13 (£9.5) billion, making them the wealthiest owners in the division.