A company linked to a wealthy finance executive have now appeared on an updated list of Ibrox investors on Rangers’ official website as five investors in total increase their shareholding.
Perron Investments LTD now have a 4.16% stake in the Ibrox club making it a major shareholder at Ibrox.
According to the Investor Information page of the club’s website, 56-year-old UK-based billionaire executive John Halstead is the owner of the shares held by Perron.
Harvard-educated Halstead is the managing partner of investment firm Pamplona Investments LLC which boasts an impressive £7.9bn ($11bn) of “total committed capital” since 2005 [Pamplona Funds].
According to popular club insider Four Lads Had a Dream, Halstead is believed to have invested £3m in the club and is “reputed to be extremely wealthy”.
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They also believe this is a “new investor sanctioned by the board” with cause for optimism and a belief in the regime to look after the club as “real Rangers men”.
Interestingly, Halstead’s investment comes at a time when Pamplona Investments LLC co-founder Alexander Knaster has purchased a “75% interest” in Serie B side Pisa [GLC].
Halstead’s investment means he is one of five Ibrox investors who’ve increased the percentage of their shareholding as per the club’s website update.
Asia-based businessman Stuart Gibson has also increased his shareholding from 7.64% (25m shares) in December 2020 to 10.24% (40m shares) as per the updated website.
Douglas Park (+1.24%, 12.55m shares), George Taylor (+0.36, 7.5m shares) and Club 1872 (+.07, 3.4m) have also increased their shareholding.
The investment – which comes with the purchase of over 16m shares – has also diluted existing shareholding.
Former Rangers chairman Dave King has seen his shareholding – the single largest at the club – reduce from 20.37% in December 2020 to 16.76% as per the updated website.
Both George Letham and John Bennet have increased the size of their shareholding at the club, but the new investment now means they own a slightly smaller percentage than they did in December.
For comparison, HERE is the Rangers shareholding as of December, written by Glasgow Times journalist Chris Jack.
All this investment has resulted in £9.88m being raised from 49.4m shares to secure nearly £10m of new Ibrox funding.
The investment from Club 1872 also comes at an interesting time for football as Rangers strive for fan influence whilst elsewhere in football supporters are feeling largely ignored.