The Sun has an interesting article about the financial relationship between Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the father of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Italian Prime Minister and AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi.
Following his death at 86 in 2004, his son Khalifa, Sheikh Mansour’s brother, took charge of the family investment in the Berlusconi empire. Mansour’s father founded the Abu Dhabi Royal Investment Fund. The fund holds a 2.042% stake in Mediaset, Berlusconi’s TV, radio and print company.
The Sheikhs also have a 16% stake in Barclays Bank, after ploughing in £3.5bn in cash to stabilise the wobbling financial giant recently. Barclays in turn hold a 5.012% stake in Mediaset, making them the second-largest shareholder after Berlusconi.
So even though City would have paid Milan £108 million for Kaka, the theory goes that they knew that the money would boost the profits and accounts of AC’s holding company Fininvest; which also controls Mediaset.
I wonder how that next Mediaset directors meeting will go?