Billions, Champions League, maybe an IPO - it should not be smaller at Lars Windhorst. In order to achieve the ambitious goals, the new investor at football club Hertha BSC agrees to invest, if necessary, much more than the previously planned € 225 million. "We have not imposed any restrictions on this, and if necessary, we will also think about providing more resources to achieve our goals," Windhorst told Bild am Sonntag.
With his investments, the 42-year-old entrepreneur wants to turn Berlin's Bundesliga club into a German and even international top club that "plays not just once but regularly in Europe". And in the Champions League, he said.
So far Windhorst has acquired with his company Tennor Holding for 125 million euros 37.5 percent stake in Hertha BSC KGaA. Another 100 million should flow soon, "in the next four to six weeks". Then Tennor would hold 49.9 percent of the Hertha shares. SPIEGEL had reported in advance on the million dollar deal in June.
(How Windhorst threaded the business: Read the full story here at SPIEGEL +.)
A deadline for his goals with Hertha does not exist, said Windhorst the "BamS" on. How long it takes and how much it costs to lead Hertha into the top group of German clubs, "nobody can say today," he said. "This is not a crazy idea of mine, but it is a captivating economic logic behind it, which will pay off significantly in the long term," said Windhorst: "Even if it would cost not only 225 million, but many hundreds of millions of euros, we would have End despite the considerable extra effort created a value that is in the billions. "
Second tranche should go into the structure of the squad
So far, with the money invested, old debts have been reduced, said Windhorst, "but especially the second tranche should be put into building the club and the squad". The exact use of funds will be decided by the Hertha committees. A further capital increase by going public is an option, but currently not planned.
Windhorst critically rates the 50 + 1 rule, which prohibits investors from obtaining a majority vote in a German football club. "There is no such rule in any country in Europe, which is why it is not up to date," he said. He thinks the 50 + 1 rule will not be a long-term condition in the long run: "However, we did not invest in Hertha because we speculate or expect the 50 + 1 rule to disappear." The Windhorst deal at Hertha is not affected by the rule. Because Windhorst has only bought shares in the professional subsidiary of the club.
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Controversial financial investor: The ups and downs of Lars WindhorstWindhorst was considered a prodigy of the German economy. In the 1990s, as a teenager, he founded several start-ups. After a major bankruptcy at the turn of the millennium Windhorst mixed again last with properly. Through his internationally active investment company Tennor, he provides capital to companies and hopes that they can increase their value. The money is raised by the company, which has offices in London, Berlin and Amsterdam, with super rich people all over the world. To Tennor belong among other things the lingerie manufacturer La Perla, the Flensburg shipyard FSG and a South African mine operator.
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