Aston Villa Women announced that billionaire Marc Zahr has made a minority investment into the club and here SheKicks takes a look at the new addition to their board of directors.
Who is new Aston Villa investor Marc Zahr?
Marc Zahr is a prominent American financier and co-president of Blue Owl Capital Inc, an alternative asset management firm overseeing $250 billion (£187bn) in assets.
He founded Oak Street Real Estate Capital in 2009, which specialised on property deals that bring steady income with low risk.
In 2021, his company joined forces with Blue Owl and now leads their real estate division.
A University of Dayton graduate, Zahr began his career at big financial firms before becoming a real estate expert.
The 46-year-old’s investment in Aston Villa Women is his first step into European football, bringing financial acumen to the club’s growth.
Nassef Sawiris, Aston Villa chairman, said: “This investment is a testament to the potential of Aston Villa Women and underscores the belief in the WSL’s trajectory.
“Marc brings a wealth of experience to the football club and we are excited for him to be a part of our continued growth on and off the pitch.”
🟣🔵Aston Villa Women can confirm Marc Zahr has made a minority investment into the football club and will soon join its board of directors.#UTV #avfc #avwfc🦁
Marc Zahr is a co-president of Blue Owl, an investment firm with $250 billion in assets under management, and oversees… https://t.co/eTAUB1B8GG pic.twitter.com/8cl5gsEq0h
— Ｅｓｐｅｎ🦁 (@espenstrand) October 21, 2025
Does Marc Zahr have any other involvement in sports?
Aston Villa is the second sports team that Marc Zahr is getting involved with this year.
In August 2025, he joined a high-profile ownership group, led by Tom Dundon (owner of NHL franchise the Carolina Hurricanes) to acquire the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers for a valuation of just more than $4 billion.
The estate of former Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen (who died in 2018) has agreed to sell the team and the deal is expected to close at the end of the year.
What is the net worth of Aston Villa investor Marc Zahr?
As per Forbes, Marc Zahr’s estimated net worth as of October 2025 is $1.3 billion.
This wealth primarily stems from his leadership at Blue Owl Capital, where he holds significant equity in the firm managing $250 billion in assets.
Why did Aston Villa sell their women’s team?
The news of Zahr’s investment comes after Aston Villa agreed a deal to sell the women’s team to V Sports, the holding company owning the club.
It was claimed at the time that 10% of the Women’s Super League team would be sold to external prominent American investors with the remaining 90% going to V Sports, controlled by Villa owner Nassef Sawiris.
The Athletic reported in the summer that Villa had explored the option of selling its women’s team to help comply with PSR rules.
Selling the women’s team is a move that has also been made by WSL rivals Chelsea and Everton.
