Who is Jahm Najafi and what is his net worth? Iranian-American billionaire behind Tottenham takeover is partial owner of the Phoenix Suns, learned English by watching basketball and hopes to turn McLaren into Formula 1 winners
Sophia Hammond
Updated on April 07, 2026
McLaren's vice-chairman Jahm Najafi is clearly noticing the parallels between his Formula 1 team and Premier League giants Tottenham.
The Iranian-American billionaire is said to be preparing to approach Spurs over a potential £3billion takeover of the club.
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Najafi is the chairman of sport investment company MSP Sports Capital, and is working with a consortium to form a bid that can seize control from owner Joe Lewis and the club’s chairman Daniel Levy.
For Najafi, it would mark the second giant British sporting franchise he would be looking to restore to it's former glory.
The 60-year-old oversaw his company acquire a significant minority shareholding in McLaren Racing in December 2020.
And at the time, Najafi expressed his hope that the added investment would strengthen the team’s long-term plan for regular F1 championship contention.
He said: "This is very exciting for us.
"We believe in the overall vision that [CEO Zak Brown] has for the team, and we are excited as I indicated to support his overall strategy of making sure the team continues to be competitive and in the not too distant future, winning a championship."
McLaren, like Tottenham, were serial winners across the 1980s and 90s but have struggled to compete since the turn of the century.
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Lewis Hamilton won McLaren their last Drivers Championship in 2008 - the same year Spurs last won a major trophy in form of the League Cup.
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Yet since finishing third in 2020, McLaren slipped to fourth in 2021 and then to fifth last season, with only one Grand Prix victory to show for their time under new ownership.
The Surrey-based side are not the only orange team Najafi are associated with.
He is a partial-owner of NBA outfit the Phoenix Suns, having admitted watching the team had helped him learn English.
Speaking to PA, Najafi said: "I came to the U.S. from Iran without speaking a word of English when I was 12.
"I was in Phoenix, and lived in a small one-bedroom apartment on the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. And I learned English by watching a lot of TV, including watching the NBA finals.
"It was the Suns against the [Boston] Celtics in 1976. So when I was given the opportunity and the privilege to be an owner in 2009, I pinched myself."
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What is his net worth?
Najafi, who graduated with a Masters in Business Economics from Harvard University, owns the Najafi Companies.
The Phoenix-based equity firm is his primary source of income, while he also serves on several philanthropic boards, including joining former NFL star Colin Kaepernick to form Mission Advancement.
According to reports, Najafi's net worth was valued at £2.9bn ($3.5bn) in 2021.
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