Trump Suck-Up Plots Huge Sell-Off to Kushner Relative
He could be in line for an eye-watering pay rise.
LEONHARD FOEGER/REUTERS
Donald Trump suck-up Gianni Infantino is plotting his latest cash-making scheme.
The 56-year-old Swiss FIFA boss has been a regular face in the U.S. this summer as it co-hosted the World Cup, popping up at every big moment as part of a wild jet-fuelled sprint around the continent.
Sources told The Times that he is now planning to sell off key parts of the soccer governing body, in a scheme that could earn him tens of millions of dollars.
Infantino became well known in America after popping up at an astonishing number of stadiums at this year's North American World Cup.
Hannah McKay/REUTERS
It would see both the men’s and women’s World Cups sold off to a newly formed company which would take control of the respective halves of the game’s most prestigious tournaments.
It would be the first time FIFA has opened itself up to outside investors, with the new entity also said to include sponsorship and broadcasting rights.
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The Times reports that among those most likely to invest is the brother of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The report states that Joshua Kushner is in pole position to put money into the scheme alongside goliath bank JP Morgan.
Infantino will be holding his breath, hoping he can get the deal over the line.
Charles Platiau/REUTERS
Two sources said that individuals in the Trump administration have already been briefed on the possible takeover.
The sources claimed Infantino would become the league’s commissioner after stepping down as FIFA president in 2031, ending a run of unopposed reelections.
What he would earn in that role has not been revealed, although sources familiar with the situation said it is expected to align with that of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who earns around $64 million a year.
If all goes to plan for him, Infantino could be showered in riches.
MARK J REBILAS/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters
That’s ten times what Infantino earned in the last financial year, according to numbers published by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The sources told outlets, including Bloomberg, that it could see the tournaments—currently held every four years—take place more frequently. It could also see them expanded to include more than the 32 teams in the women’s tournament, and the 48 sides in the newly expanded men’s finals.
The sources also said each of FIFA’s 211 member associations—which effectively own the organization—would receive a stake worth about $20 million that they could either sell or retain.
FIFA, meanwhile, would hold onto a majority share, with an initial 20 to 30 percent made up by investors and a minority share controlled by the member states.
Bloomberg reports FIFA hopes to raise $4.2 billion from external investors.
FIFA is a tax-free nonprofit based in Switzerland, with revenue from 2022 to 2026 expected to be around $15 billion.
The Daily Beast has contacted FIFA for comment. Josh Kushner’s wife, Karlie Kloss, has made little secret of her anti-Trump views, even turning up at the opening of Barack Obama’s presidential library earlier this year.
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