Wolves Owner: Fosun International, Guo Guangchang, Jeff Shi and Club Ownership Structure

Who are Wolves Owners - Fosun International, Jeff Shi and Guo Guangchang

The club is owned by Fosun International, a Chinese investment conglomerate, which acquired Wolves in July 2016 for £45 million. Fosun International is a Chinese company owned by Guo Guangchang, a Chinese businessman. Since the acquisition in 2016, Guo Guangchang has driven significant investments in the club. Under the ownership of a Chinese Wolves owner, the club secured Premier League promotion in 2018 and has maintained a consistent top-flight presence.

However, Guo Guangchang didn't look at all the operations by himself and delegated club operations to Jeff Shi, Wolves’ executive chairman. Shi, a key figure since the takeover, focuses on sustainable growth and long-term vision, with no plans to sell.

Who is Jeff Shi and What is his Source of Income

Jeff Shi is the executive chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves), a Premier League football club, and a key representative of the club’s owners. The owner has delegated all the work related to operations to Jeff Shi, who has done so well in maintaining the current performance of the club. He has overseen Wolves’ promotion to the Premier League in 2018 and their Europa League qualification.

Jeff Shi, originally from Shanghai, moved to the UK to manage Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves). He has adapted to British culture while leading the club’s operations. His main income comes from his role as an investment director at Fosun International, the company that owns Wolves, and his position as the club’s executive chairman. However, details about his personal finances are not disclosed publicly.

Jeff Shi Net Worth

Information about Jeff Shi net worth is not publicly available. His wealth likely comes from his roles as an investment director at Fosun International and executive chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers, but no specific figures are disclosed.

Who is Guo Guangchang and What is his Source of Income?

Guo Guangchang is a Chinese billionaire businessman and investor, born in February 1967 in Dongyang, Zhejiang, China. He is the chairman and co-founder of the Fosun International Limited, a major Chinese conglomerate founded in 1992, which has their interests in pharmaceuticals, insurance, tourism, real estate, mining, retail, finance, and sports, including ownership of Wolverhampton Wanderers since 2016. His primary source of income is his leadership role at Fosun, where he holds a significant stake (64.45% in Fosun International Holdings).

Guo Guangchang Net Worth

Guo Guangchang, owner of Wolverhampton Wanderers, has a net worth of $2.8 billion. Guo Guangchang net worth mainly consists of his earnings from the role of chairman at chairman and co-founder of Fosun International Limited, a company that deals in various businesses across the world in different domains. The table below shows how Guo Guangchang net worth has moved in the last 5 years.

Wolves Owners History: From Past to Present

For the most part, information regarding the Wolverhampton owners throughout history is rather scarce. Besides the initial founders, there is very little known or recorded about the owners who followed. As such, the period between 1889 and 1980 is not accounted for in this article, as there is no viable source for it. That said, the years that followed have a much clearer history.

The early 1900s-1940s saw Wolves often come close to winning the league title. Often going down to the wire, the club had narrowly missed out on League triumph on numerous occasions. That said, the 1950s saw the club finally find more than just Cup success, as they would win the league 3 times between 1950 and 1960. Most notably, ahead of the 1957–58 season, Wolves defeated Real Madrid 5–4 (3–2 in Wolverhampton and 2–2 in Madrid) in home and away friendlies. The 1960s and 1970s were much more tumultuous, due to the club being relegated a few times. Along with that, the multi-million-pound rebuilding of the Molineux Street Stand in 1979 brought the club to near financial ruin. Eventually, the club went into receivership and relegation in 1982, before being rescued by former player Derek Dougan, who brought in Mahmud and Mohammad Bhatti of Allied Properties to take over the club. In 1986, Sir Jack Hayward, a lifelong Wolves fan and businessman, purchased the club for £2.1 million. He invested heavily in rebuilding Molineux Stadium and stabilizing the club, though major silverware remained elusive during his tenure. In 2007, Hayward parted with the club, selling control of the club to the next owner of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Steve Morgan, for a measly £10. Shocking as it may seem, it was actually for a token fee, which would see Morgan invest £30 million into the club. Initially, the entrepreneur had made advances to try and purchase Liverpool, however, he ended up settling with the Wolves instead.

Then in 2016, the ownership of the club once again switched hands, with Morgan selling the club to Chinese conglomerate Fosun International for £45 million. However, as the businessman later revealed, he chose Fosun International only due to their promise to invest £100 million into the club. That brings us to the current Wolverhampton owner and the Chairman of Fosun Group, Guo Guangchang. Under Guangchang and Fosun, Wolves have certainly had a change of fortunes.

A partnership with Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes saw an influx of Portuguese talent at the Molineux. Since 2017, the club has signed 22 players from Portugal, some of whom were a big hit with the fans. This significant investment was due to Fosun International’s asset valuation of $126.5bn (£101.5bn), as reported by Forbes in 2022. Although the new Wolverhampton owner was unable to bring about a massive change in the club’s fortune, it was certainly a step in the right direction.

The Table below will give a much clearer view of the Wolves' owners' timeline.