Anthony Grant Bloom, better known as Tony Bloom, has been a prominent figure in the English football scene since becoming the chairman of the club he supports, Brighton & Hove Albion.
While many of the biggest clubs in the Premier League have been taken over by American businessmen like John Henry, the Brighton-born Bloom has established the team as a top-half regular himself.
Through an array of savvy entrepreneurial pursuits and even a few successful outings in the world of gambling, Bloom has been able to watch his net worth grow alongside the increasing prominence of the Seagulls.
So, what is the Tony Bloom net worth figure, and how did he amass his riches across business, football, and gambling?
How Much is Tony Bloom Worth?
Tony Bloom’s net worth is estimated to be in the region of £1.3 billion. However, this figure comes with its fair share of caveats. For one, net worth figures are almost always very speculative – as is the case here.
Further, there are conflicting reports as to his net worth. While some say it’s £1.3 billion, others suggest that it’s more in the region of £720 million. Others citing $1.3 billion would say that the number is more in the middle at £1 billion.
If the Tony Bloom net worth number is any of these, or simply residing within the range offered, it’d put him ahead of Daniel Levy on the estimated net worth rankings of football club owners.
While he has enjoyed other successful ventures and is a minority shareholder in many football clubs, Bloom’s investment in Brighton back when they were firmly a League One side will have been the greatest contributor to his climbing net worth.
After all, in just 16 years, they’ve gone from League One mediocrity to getting promoted to and from the Championship to now being in their ninth Premier League season with the football odds backing them at 3/5 to finish in the top half again.
Brighton & Hove Albion Ownership
The Bloom family have long been connected to Brighton & Hove Albion; Tony’s uncle and grandfather have held seats as director and vice-chairman, respectively, dating back to the 1970s.
In 2009, Tony Bloom secured a 75 per cent share of the club, succeeded Dick Knight as chairman of the Seagulls, and swiftly invested over £90 million in developing Falmer Stadium.
By 2011, Brighton were back in the Championship. In 2017, they secured their return to the English top flight for the first time in over 30 years.
A huge part of the club’s success has been the scouting and youth focus implemented by Bloom. Many huge sales, especially to Chelsea, have come from this system, buoying Brighton’s finances greatly.
Where many other teams then struggle to plug the gaps, the Brighton process of identifying talents and bringing them in early has continued to keep the club not just stay afloat, but climb up the Premier League table.
This season alone, Brighton & Hove Albion sold players like João Pedro, Simon Adingra, and Pervis Estupiñán for close to £130 million, spent £70 million to continue the process, and remain in with a shot of finishing in the top six, per the Premier League betting markets.
Entrepreneurship and Gambling
Much of Tony Bloom’s net worth has come from his ties to gambling, both as an entrepreneur and a gambler. His entry to the scene came after working for two years at Ernst & Young. He then opted to gamble professionally.
Later, Bloom was brought on by a major bookmaker to set-up an international arm in Bangkok. Decades later, with plenty of experience in the Asian market, he launched a couple of his own online betting platforms.
He’d sell those for seven figures while also founding and running his own private betting syndicate through through company, Starlizard.
This also led to the 2017 launch of Jamestown Analytics, which provides football and cricket player and coach data.
Naturally, he’s also spread his wealth into multiple private equity portfolios and the property market.
While not as massively lucrative as, for example, Evangelos Marinakis’ path to wealth, Bloom’s knack for sports analytics as a club owner and professional gambler has clearly propelled him to his current net worth.
Away from sports gambling, Bloom has also notably entered the pro poker scene. Nicknamed “The Lizard,” Bloom has collected several top prizes in tournaments from around the world, amounting to around £3 million in live winnings.
Personal Life
Born and raised in the area of the football team that he now owns – similarly to Sir Jim Ratcliffe in that way – Bloom later attended Lancing College and then earned his mathematics degree at Manchester University.
He’s married to Australian psychologist Linda, has two children with her, and was appointed an MBE as part of the 2024 New Year's Honours for his services to football and the Brighton community.
