Jude Bellingham will announce this week that he has invested in cricket, buying a stake of approximately one per cent in the Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix.
Last year, Knighthead Capital, the American investment fund, bought 49 per cent of the Phoenix when the England and Wales Cricket Board auctioned off stakes in the Hundred’s eight teams. Warwickshire, as the host county at Edgbaston, retained a 51 per cent stake with the deal valuing Phoenix at £82m.
England and Real Madrid superstar Bellingham is now expected to announce that he has bought 0.6 per cent of Warwickshire’s stake, and 0.6 per cent of Knighthood’s stake. Based on figures from the auction, his investment would be worth around £1m. The deal was first reported by The Cricketer, and is expected to be announced officially on Wednesday.
It is unclear exactly how the deal came about, but Bellingham’s potential involvement was flagged by Warwickshire and Knighthead to the ECB more than a year ago, which allowed them to sell a stake on.
Last week, Warwickshire revealed in their club annual report last week that “an investor” had bought a 1.2 per cent stake in Phoenix, of which 0.6 per cent was Warwickshire’s.
Bellingham is a lifelong cricket fan, and Knighthead also own Birmingham City FC, whose academy he came through. Tom Brady, the NFL legend, is a minority owner of Birmingham City with Knighthead.
Bellingham, 22, is a Birmingham boy. He was born in Stourbridge, then educated at the private Priory School in Edgbaston, less than a mile from the cricket ground. He was on Birmingham City’s books from the age of eight and made 44 senior appearances for the club before being signed by Borussia Dortmund, then Real Madrid. His younger brother Jobe also came through the Birmingham City academy.
Bellingham played for Hagley Cricket Club in nearby Worcestershire as a child and has retained an interest in the game.
After the deal, Warwickshire retain a controlling 50.4 per cent stake in Phoenix, while Knighthead now have 48.4 per cent. Their key players this summer are Jacob Bethell, their men’s captain, and Ellyse Perry on the women’s side, where they also have young English stars Alice Capsey and Davina Perrin.