Rory McIlroy invests in F1 team, open to buying stake in Manchester United
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Written by Staff
Rory McIlroy would welcome the chance to invest in a soccer club. But it can’t be just any club. Approached this summer by Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth to join them in investing in Leeds United, an English soccer team, McIlroy had to turn it down.
“As a Man United fan I cannot go anywhere near that,” McIlroy told Sky Sports over the weekend.
For now, he will have to settle for Formula 1. McIlroy was recently announced as one of several new investors in the BWT Alpine F1 Team. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and boxer Anthony Joshua are among the other star athletes that funded part of the $183 million strategic investment led by Otro Capital.
McIlroy attended the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, last weekend and was seen inside the team’s control room. The 34-year-old is a fan of F1 but said he didn’t have a huge ambition to become a part-owner of a team. He became interested after learning about the investment group and speaking with the Alpine team.
Rory McIlroy on the grid prior to the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas. (Getty Images)
“Their mindset and their vision for the future and where they want to go, I think that’s going to be a really cool journey to be a part of,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully the group that have come in and invested can help them on their journey and push them up the grid.”
Alpine is sixth in the 2023 Constructors’ Championship Standings, Formula 1’s season-long team points race.
McIlroy has become a shrewd investor both in and outside of golf. He co-founded TMRW Sports alongside Tiger Woods, which launched TGL, the new tech-forward, primetime, team golf league. McIlroy also founded Symphony Ventures, an investment partnership group that includes Puttery, GolfPass, GolfNow Compete, Golf Genius, Golf+, Troon Golf, Hyperice and Whoop.
As for a potential Manchester United investment, McIlroy would “love to be able to own a tiny percentage of the club I grew up cheering on as a boy.”
Manchester United is closing on a deal to sell a 25 percent stake to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
"I would have loved to have taken 0.00001 percent of Manchester United when Jim Ratcliffe took 25 percent,” McIlroy added. “And if another opportunity comes my way I will look at it. But it is not something that has come across our table as of yet.”