The money behind Huddersfield Town: How Kevin Nagle built his fortune | OneFootball

Kevin Nagle has been the majority owner of Huddersfield Town since March 2023.

American businessman Kevin Nagle completed his purchase of Huddersfield Town in June 2023.

The 70-year-old’s (71 on 15 September) first full season at the helm of the Terriers led to the club suffering relegation from the Championship just two years after they’d reached the play-off final.

The Yorkshire outfit were unable to earn promotion back to the second division at the first attempt either, with the side coming 10th in the table.

Huddersfield will be hoping that their summer business, which included hiring Lee Grant as manager, will help overcome the deficit to the top of the table, as they look to secure a return to the Championship at the second attempt.

Here we look at how the club’s owner, Nagle, made his money prior to his purchase of Town over two years ago…

How Huddersfield Town owner Kevin Nagle made his fortune

Nagle’s business background comes from the health industry, having invested in that area back in the 1980s.

The American originally worked for the investment firm EF Hutton, before striking out on his own to co-found his own pharmaceutical company.

This firm was eventually sold for £1.8 billion, allowing him to move onto other ventures by reinvesting what he received from that deal back into real estate.

The Huddersfield owner founded The Nagle Company, through which he invested in properties in retail, entertainment, offices and residential homes.

While this was his next step after selling his pharmaceutical company, it was not his only venture, as he also invested in sports.

Nagle’s first step into sports ownership came through the Sacramento Kings, who compete in the NBA (National Basketball Association).

The businessman eventually sold his shares in the basketball team in a deal worth a reported £6.7 billion, further increasing his fortune.

He then entered into football ownership in the United States with Sacramento Republic, eventually helping the club join MLS from the USL (United Soccer League).

This was through heavy investment, as he looked to build up the team’s profile with better infrastructure.

Nagle has also been involved in esports, investing in NRG Esports in 2019, with the team competing in many events, involving games such as Overwatch.

Kevin Nagle’s Huddersfield ambitions

Nagle’s ownership of Huddersfield is into its third season, and he most recently oversaw a pre-tax loss of £6.6 million for the financial year of 2023.

The American spoke in February, where he predicted that further losses are coming down the road given the club’s turnover has fallen dramatically since their two-campaign stint in the Premier League.

The Terriers had an annual income of roughly £119 million when they were in the top flight from 2017 to 2019, but that has since dropped to only £18 million since suffering relegations to League One.

However, despite the expected future losses, the Huddersfield owner made clear his hope that current investments will help to raise the club’s profile and turn around their financial situation in the long-term.

"I don’t think there will be anything much different. I would say this much, we are going to lose a lot of money, no question,” said Nagle, via Insider Media.

"That can’t be continuous and it isn't sustainable but right now we are investing in the club and in the infrastructure of the club. That means making sure that the academy is well founded.

“And (we are investing) in the stadium, which didn’t really have a lot of capital investment, almost none other than minimal amounts to enable it to be compliant.

"We are now doing those things and even before we take full control (of the John Smith’s Stadium). Those are taking place in addition to what we are doing on the pitch.

“We have just brought in three new players. All that means you’re going to have losses."