What is Thaksin Shinawatra’s net worth?

The former Manchester City owner is looking to get back into football and is eyeing a potential bid for Crystal Palace
Former Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra holds the aim of taking a controlling stake in Premier League outfit Crystal Palace.

The 69-year-old was once the Prime Minister of Thailand, during which time he sought to buy both Fulham and Liverpool, but while such attempts were derided as publicity stunts by his political rivals, after leaving office in 2007, he bought Manchester City for £81.6 million.

While at the Etihad Stadium, he appointed Sven-Goran Eriksson as manager, who later spoke to The Telegraph of the owner’s prickly nature.
“In the beginning it was good with Shinawatra, but he didn’t understand football – he hadn’t a clue. He thought beating Manchester United twice in one year was normal. ‘Tell the players they must be more aggressive,’ he said. When we won he invited me for dinner. When we lost he didn’t even say hello,” Eriksson said.

Ultimately, Shinawatra’s stay at City was short lived as he was bought out of the club by the Abu Dhabi United Group for around £200m in 2008 – representing a terrific return on his investment.

How much money, though, does the divisive figure have and could it benefit Crystal Palace?

How much money is Thaksin Shinawatra worth?
According to Forbes, Shinawatra is the 1281st richest man on the planet, with an estimated worth of $1.9bn.

A former police officer, he moved into business in the 1980s and made his money through the telecoms industry and investments before switching to politics in 2001. He currently holds a controlling stake in property firm SC Asset among other interests.




Thaksin’s opponents, though, claim that his financial figures are murky due to a conviction for corruption hanging over him in his homeland and accusations of money laundering that he has never been found guilty of. They claim that it is impossible to tell accurately how much money he has.

Why is Thaksin Shinawatra a controversial figure?
Thaksin won power in Thailand thanks to pro-poor policies and implemented universal healthcare, debt relief, loans for start-up businesses and rice subsidies for farmers.
However, he split the opinion of the Bangkok business elite and he was ousted by the military in 2006 amid accusations of corruption and enriching his family. Additionally, he instigated an authoritarian war on drugs that is estimated to have seen 3,000 people shot dead.

The upshot of this is that he is no longer able to reside in the country, instead staying in Dubai as he seeks to avoid a two-year jail sentence for corruption. Additionally, he has had $1.3bn of assets seized previously.

In a front-page column in the New York Times in March 2019, he alleged that Thailand’s election, which saw Prayut Chan-o-cha, who had previously led a coup against the government, retain his post as Prime Minister, was rigged.

Source:www.goal.com