Borussia Dortmund, or known as BVB, based in Dortmund, is a historic Bundesliga club known for its world-famous fanbase and the "Yellow Wall" at their Signal Iduna Park stadium. But a question remains among football fans: who is the owner of Borussia Dortmund football club? While the club is a publicly-traded company, the club operates under Germany's "50+1 rule." This means that the majority portion of the club is owned by thousands of its members, holding the majority of voting rights, preventing any single investor from taking control. Remaining shares of the club are owned by different investors.
Financially, Borussia Dortmund has undergone a remarkable transformation. After facing near-bankruptcy in the mid-2000s, the club is now a model of financial management in Europe. Through efficient management and a clear business strategy focused on developing and selling elite young talent for huge profits, the club has become profitable in recent years. This, along with their massive matchday revenues and strong commercial partnerships, has ensured their competitive presence at German and European football.
Who are Borussia Dortmund Owners?
Borussia Dortmund’s ownership structure is a unique two-part system shaped by German football regulations. The parent club, Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund, is a traditional members association owned entirely by its 190,000+ members. This parent club holds 100% of the shares in a management company that runs the professional football team. This structure is protected by Germany's "50+1 rule," which requires that the member-owned parent club must always hold at least 50% plus one vote in the professional division, ensuring fans retain control and preventing any single investor from taking over.
While the members have voting control via the 50+1 rule, the financial equity of the publicly traded club is distributed among various shareholders. The member-owned parent club, BVB 09 e.V. Dortmund, holds a direct stake of approximately 4.41%. Other significant shareholders include private investor Bernd Geske (7.88%), main sponsor Evonik Industries (7.83%, approx.), SIGNAL IDUNA (5.72%, approx.), PUMA SE (5.09%, approx.) and Ralph Dommermuth Beteiligungen GmbH (4.81%, approx.). The largest portion, around 64.3%, is in "free float" on the stock market, which means that anyone from the public can buy those shares.
Borussia Dortmund Owners Personnel
Borussia Dortmund football club owners are the members of the club, whose ultimate control is guaranteed by Germany's 50+1 rule, similar to other traditional German clubs, where members have the final say in the club's direction and major decisions. The representative for the members is the club President, currently Dr. Reinhold Lunow. Meanwhile, Hans-Joachim Watzke oversees the club's overall strategic and administrative functions, with former club legend Lars Ricken working as the Managing Director for Sport.