Firoz Kassam
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Firoz Kassam | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955 (age 68–69) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Ex-Owner of Oxford United F.C. Kassam Stadium |
Firoz Kassam (born 1955) is a British businessman. Born and brought up in Tanzania, of Indian descent, he came to Britain at the age of 19.[1] He owned Oxford United F.C. from 1999 to 2006,[2] and was named the 309th wealthiest person in the UK in the Sunday Times Rich List 2009 with an estimated fortune of £180 million.[3]
Early life
Firoz Kassam was born in Tanzania, one of five children.[4] His father had a small confectionery business, and his mother died when he was a child.[4] They migrated to England when he was 19.[4]
Career
Starting out with a
In 1999, Kassam bought
Kassam also owns the historic mansion and grounds of
In February 2006, Kassam's Firoka company was announced as the preferred bidder for the redevelopment of Alexandra Palace in London. The whole Palace would be given to Firoka on a 125-year lease for commercial uses. As it is held on a charitable trust, and Firoka is a private company, this proposal was very controversial. It was subject to agreement of the charity commission, which received 350 objections to the lease to develop a multi-use exhibition, leisure and entertainment complex. On 5 October 2007 in the High Court, Mr Justice Sullivan granted an application by a member of the conservationist Save Ally Pally group to quash the Charity Commission's Order authorizing the lease.[7]
Net worth
In 2007, his net worth was estimated at £240 million.[8] In the 2017 Sunday Times Rich List, his net worth was £315 million.[9]
References
- ^ "Company of the month: The Firoka Group". Longman Business. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Merry completes Oxford takeover". BBC Sport. 22 March 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ "The Times & The Sunday Times". Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ a b c "Longman Business: Company of the month: The Firoka Group". pearsonlongman.com. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ a b Dovkants, Keith (2 February 2006). "From slum landlord to Mr Ally Pally". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ^ Manor Hospital Archived 9 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Court rejects £55m Palace plans". BBC News. 5 October 2007.
- ^ Moulds, Josephine (7 May 2007). "Top 20 Richest Asians". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- ^ "Millionaire Kassam climbs rich list rankings as fortune increased by £30m". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
External links
- "Development threat to the palace, where television was born" (Independent article on development plans, 30 December 2006)
- "Firoka One Step Closer To Securing Alexandra Palace"
- "TV studios under threat", 29 October 2006 (Account from MP about Firoz Kassam and future of TV studios)
- Ally Pally faces legal challenge (Controversy over Kassam's proposed takeover of Alexandra Palace.)