former fighter pilot, Mohammed Mahfoodh AlArdhi (61 years old) heads Investcorp, a Bahraini fund managing a portfolio of $37.6 billion (Italian budget in 2022 was about $30 billion). We’re talking about it because this wealthy businessman has set his sights on Milan.
The fund is active in sectors such as private equity, real estate, infrastructure, credit management and strategic capital and does business all over the world, including Italy. Between 1987 and 1989 he saved the fashion company Gucci, paid $135 million for 50%. In 1993 it took over the other 50% by investing another 175 million. It was a big deal because after deleting the fashion brand’s accounts, he took it public on Wall Street. Operation that brought in over two billion dollars in profits. Investcorp also looked at the Riva Group (motor boats) and Dainese.
The interest in Milan was announced by the French sports newspaper L’Equipe, picked up immediately afterwards by press agencies around the world. The club would have been valued at around 1.1 billion euros. The US fund Elliott, managed by Paul Singer, would take in around 400 million given the initial investment (around 700 million euros).
“Congratulations to Milan for once again leading the league. Happy Easter to the club, to all the fans and to those watching this #sempremilan event,” tweeted Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi after Pioli’s team beat Genoa. A signal to the entire Rossoneri environment, especially to the fans.
Military career and studies in the USA
Born in Sur, Oman in 1961, as a child he had the opportunity to travel extensively in his country, following in the footsteps of his father, who managed regional affairs for the Sultan. At the age of 17 he entered the royal air force and began his university studies in the UK and then in the US, where he specialized in a Masters in Public Administration at the National Defense University in Washington and then at Harvard. Well on the way to a military career, he managed to lead his country’s air force, a post he held for ten years.
His new life begins after his discharge from the Wehrmacht. Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi becomes a businessman and runs some big companies investing in real estate development, oil, gas and information technology without forgetting tourism. On the board of Investcorp since 2008, becoming its chairman in 2015. He also heads Al Ardhi Energy Services and Rimal Investment Projects, companies engaged in oil and gas exploration. In 2017 he was also head of the Bank of Oman. In addition to business and finance, he also found ways to enjoy writing books. He has signed three: Arabs Down Under, Pearls from Arabia and Arabs Unseen.