Chien Lee

Chien Lee is a Chinese-American entrepreneur and investor and a sports team owner, He is the founder and Chairman of NewCity Capital, a private investment firm, Chairman and biggest shareholder of Barnsley Football Club,[1] co-owner of FC Thun Football Club,[2] co-owner of KV Oostende Football Club,[3] Chairman and co- owner of AS Nancy Lorraine Football Club,[4][5] former owner and Chairman of OGC Nice Football Club and co-founder of 7 Days Inn.[6] He owns multiple professional European soccer clubs and is a well known investor of European soccer.[7][8]

Not to be confused with Ch'ien Lee.
Chien Lee
Chien Lee in 2017
NationalityAmerican
OccupationEntrepreneur, Investor, Sports Team Owner
Known forFounder of NewCity Capital
Owner of Barnsley Football Club
Owner of FC Thun Football Club
Owner of KV Oostende FC
Owner of AS Nancy Lorraine FC
Former owner of OGC Nice FC
Co-founder of 7 Days Inn
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Chairman of AS Nancy Lorraine F.C.
In office
December 2020 – present
Chairman of Barnsley F.C.
In office
December 2017 – present
Chairman of OGC Nice F.C.
In office
June 2016 – August 2019

Career

Lee is the founder, Chairman and CEO of NewCity Capital founded in February 2013, NewCity Capital is a private investment company that focuses on real estate, hospitality and sport Industry. He founded Lee Holdings Company Inc. a US-based investment company in August 1989 where he is the Chairman and focused on the acquisition of real estate assets, Later Lee actively invested in hospitality Industry and co-founded 7 Days inn (NYSE: SVN) one of the largest budget hotel chain in China in 2005,[9] in 2014 Lee invested in The Grand Ho Tram Strip in Vietnam, one of the region's largest integrated resorts.[10] in 2016 Lee foray into professional sports investment and acquired multiple European soccer clubs and owns one of the most European soccer clubs in the world, by December 2020, Lee invested in 5 European football clubs and building a football holdings in the European Leagues.[11][12]

Sports/Soccer

Lee first foray into professional sports was in purchasing French top tier soccer team OGC Nice FC in June 2016,[13] Subsequently, Lee has been trying to acquire more European soccer teams, In September 2016, Lee held advanced takeover talks with the Hull City FC owner Assem Allam,[14][15] after formally ended his takeover bid for Hull City FC in November, Lee make an offer to buy Middlesbrough FC and was rejected by club owner Steve Gibson in January 2017,[16] in April 2017, Lee was in talks with Brentford FC owner Matthew Benham over potential bid for the club, Lee was attracted by the Brentford FC’s location in London, close to Heathrow airport, and its stadium development plans.[17][18] In December 2017, Lee acquired Barnsley FC from the Cryne family,[19] in June 2019 Lee attempted to buy Partick Thistle FC,[20] in November 2019 Lee invested in FC Thun Football Club.[21] In January 2020, several media reported Lee is in the race to buy KV Oostende Football Club competing with David Blitzer, co-owner of Crystal Palace Football Club and NBA team Philadelphia 76ers.[22][23] After selling French football club OGC Nice to Great Britain’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe back in August 2019, Lee wanted to return to French football. Already owner of the Barnsley FC in England and FC Thun in Switzerland, Lee is now looking to expand his portfolio once more. After prospecting several French clubs, Lee set his sights on Toulouse and its football club and entered into exclusive negotiations to buy Toulouse FC in March 2020.[24][25][26] In May 2020, Lee completed the acquisition of KV Oostende Football Club, the only professional football club on the Belgian coast and the 4th European soccer investment for Lee.[27][28] after purchased KV Oostende Football Club, Lee continue to pursue the French football club Toulouse FC and competing with tech tycoon Michael Dell and his investment fund MSD Capital which also in the race to buy Toulouse FC.[29][30] In July 2020, Lee attempted to acquire SV Mattersburg FC, an Austrian Football Club from Mattersburg Burgenland.[31] In December 2020, after unsuccessful attempted to buy Toulouse FC, Lee turned the attention to AS Nancy Lorraine, competing with City Football Group the owner of Manchester City F.C. and purchased AS Nancy Lorraine and returned to French football.[32][33] In February 2021, media reported Lee together with Pacific Media, Partners Path Capital and Krishen Sud are in the process to buy Denmark’s Esbjerg fB Football Club.[34]

In a 2018 interview with Forbes, Lee state that he is a long-term investor in football, he will use data approach to identify talents and focusing on young players on the sporting side and balance the budget on the business side, his strategy contrasts with sharply with that of many other investors currently in European football, where huge sums of money are invested in marquee players and success is expected overnight.[35] Lee’s ambition to build a European football empire continues as his soccer portfolio keep expanding, the multiple ownership teams give Lee the advantages beyond talent recruitment, also to capitalize on the global reach of soccer and maximize lucrative sponsorship revenues, as well as help the football clubs grow and become more competitive, his football empire is not built on money, it is built on sporting smarts. By December 2020, Lee invested in 5 European football club. [36][37]

OGC Nice Football Club

In June 2016, Lee purchased French soccer team OGC Nice and became the Chairman of board and co-owner at OGC Nice Football Club, a French association football club based in Nice.[38][39] media reported Lee acquired the football club for €20 million and is one of the notable sport acquisition in 2016.[40][41] during Lee’s first year of ownership, the club appointed Lucien Favre as OGC Nice manager,[42] signed Italian striker Mario Balotelli from Liverpool FC[43] and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history,[44] in June 2018 Lee appointed Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira as OGC Nice manager.[45] In August 2019, according to the Financial Times and ESPN Lee had sold OGC Nice to Ineos run by Great Britain’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe for €100 Million,[46] making OGC Nice the most expensive ever in French football history at the time of the sale, costing significantly more than the €79m spent by the Qatar Royal family to buy Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 and the €45m paid out by Frank McCourt for the acquisition of Marseille in September 2016. It is also more than Bordeaux (€95m) and Lille (€80m) were sold for in 2018.[47]

Lee in Nice during his time with OGC Nice Football Club in 2018

Barnsley Football Club

In December 2017, Lee acquired English soccer team Barnsley FC after attempted to purchase Hull City FC, Middlesbrough FC and Brentford FC and became the co-chairman and co-owner of Barnsley FC (Football Club),[48] a professional association football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, Lee is joined by ’Moneyball’ pioneer Billy Beane on the acquisition, since taking over Barnsley FC, the club use data model originally practice in baseball in the U.S, focus on signing talented young players and achieved great success with the data-based player analysis and player identification,[49][50][51] in Lee’s first year of ownership 2018/19 season, the club was promoted to the English Championship.[52]

FC Thun Football Club

In November 2019, Lee became an investor of FC Thun football club, a Swiss football team from the Bernese Oberland town of Thun. after the investment, the club use the data-based player analysis and player identification to expand European network for potential player transfers, and marketing the club in the Asian region to extended sponsoring options.[53]

KV Oostende Football Club

In May 2020, Lee acquired the Belgian top division team KV Oostende Football Club, a Belgian football club from the city of Ostend, West Flanders, the 4th European soccer club Lee purchased, Lee completed the acquisition of KV Oostende Football Club during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and saved the Club from liquidation. Lee saw a lot of potential in this club and can strengthen this team with the data approach to identify talents, Lee believes a lot of talent in Belgium and the KV Oostende Football Club youth academy are very important to the success.[54][55]

Supporters in the AS Nancy FC stands

AS Nancy Lorraine Football Club

In December 31, 2020, after selling French football club OGC Nice to Great Britain’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe back in August 2019, Lee acquired French Football Club AS Nancy Lorraine FC and returned to French football and became the Chairman of board and co-owner of AS Nancy Lorraine,[56] a French association football club. The club was founded in 1967 and has spent its entire life playing in either Ligue 1 or Ligue 2. Nancy's biggest achievement came in 1978 when the club won the Coupe de France defeating Nice in the final, Lee sees Nancy as appealing due to its historically strong performance, as well as its attractive location less than two hours’ train ride from Paris and the Nancy youth academy, the first youth academy of French football formed in the spring of 1964, Lee will continue to use the same strategies in his other clubs to focus on talented young players and play high pressing style in AS Nancy FC.[57][58]

Hotel Industry

Lee actively invested in hospitality Industry, in 2014 he invested in Asian Coast Development (Canada) Ltd., the developer of The Grand Ho Tram Strip in Vietnam, one of the region's largest integrated resorts to capture the Vietnam booming tourist markets, in a 2014 interview with Forbes, Lee described the Ho Tram Strip is a “hidden diamond” and the tourism is one of the most important driving forces for Vietnam’s economic development.[59][60] the investors in the Ho Tram Strip including Warburg Pincus and Harbinger Capital, the first phase of the Ho Tram Strip development includes The Grand Ho Tram Resort & Casino, a 5-star award winning hotel and resort, international conference center and heliport which opened in July 2013 as well as The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip, a Greg Norman designed links-style Championship golf course, which opened in October 2014 and in 2015 was named the World’s Best New Golf Course and is ranked #35 in The World by Golf Digest.[61][62]

In 2005 Lee co-founded 7 Days Inn, one of the largest budget hotel chain in China to focus on the booming Chinese domestic travel industry, Lee saw tourism in China is growing and the emergence of a newly rich middle class fueling the travel boom, China has become one of the world's most-watched and hottest tourist markets.[63] In 2006, Warburg Pincus invested in 7 days inn. In 2007, Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, and Warburg Pincus further invested in the hotel chain, in September 2009, 7 Days Inn listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SVN).[64][65] the hotel chain has grown from 5 hotels in 2 cities in 2005 to 283 hotels in 41 cities when it listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2009, In July 2013 the founders of 7 Days Inn together with Carlyle Group and Sequoia Capital took 7 Days Inn private to form Plateno Hotels Group, the holding company of 7 days inn,[66][67][68]by end of 2014, 7 days inn had 2000 hotels in 320 cities, In 2015 Jinjiang Hotels bought 81% of 7 Days Inn, by end of 2019, 7 days inn had 4700 hotels in 450 cities.[69][70]

Honours


References
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  3. "New investors for KV Oostende FC"
  4. “The former owner of OGC Nice buys AS Nancy-Lorraine!”
  5. “AS Nancy Lorraine : Chien Lee officiellement président du conseil d’administration”
  6. 7 Days founder talks budget hotels in China
  7. "What to Expect If Businessman Chien Lee Gets TFC"
  8. "Barnsley co-chairman in talks to buy new club – ‘Moving in right direction’, deal could be done at €8-10m"
  9. “7 Days founder talks budget hotels in China”
  10. “Forbes: Vietnam Casino Investor Checks Junket, Hotel Boxes”
  11. “Chinese-backed group broadens European soccer portfolio”
  12. “The former owner of OGC Nice buys AS Nancy-Lorraine!”
  13. Chinese, American investors acquire French football club Nice""
  14. "Chien Lee, linked with Hull City takeover, completes purchase of Championship rival"
  15. "Hull City begin takeover talks with new consortium fronted by Chinese American businessman Chien Lee"
  16. "Steve Gibson rejects £50m Chinese investment offer for Middlesbrough "
  17. "China-linked investors target stake in Brentford football club"
  18. "Chien Lee in talks to buy 50 per cent stake in Brentford"
  19. "Barnsley confirm takeover by consortium led by Chien Lee and ‘Moneyball’ pioneer Billy Beane"
  20. "After Partick Thistle takeover, businessman predicts more US owners in Scottish game"
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  23. "Nieuwe Amerikaanse koper voor KV Oostende"
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  27. "New investors for KV Oostende FC"
  28. "Chinese investor: We saw KV Ostend as an opportunity"
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  30. "Chien Lee issues Toulouse ultimatum"
  31. Mattersburg: Who follows his gut feeling"
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  36. "Ambisi Pengusaha asal China, Chien Lee di Sepak Bola Eropa"
  37. “U.K. Soccer Finds EU Loophole to Keep Access to Young Talent”
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  41. “Pro sports teams are worth more than ever - see which teams have been sold and how much billionaires are paying for them”
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  50. "Chinese magnate and 'Moneyball' maven set to purchase lower league English soccer team together", www.scmp.com
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  58. “Tampa Bay Rays Co-Owner Said to Back French Soccer Club Bid”
  59. "ACDL ADDS NEW INVESTOR TO HO TRAM STRIP PROJECT", www.casinolifemagazine.com
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  61. Grand Ho Tram in Vietnam targeted for acquisition by Warburg Pincus”
  62. “ACDL”
  63. “7 Days founder talks budget hotels in China”
  64. “China's 7 Days Inn gets $95 mln from three foreign investors”
  65. “China hotel chain 7 Days IPO prices at top of range”
  66. " Nice way to keep eyes on the goal", www.chinadailyasia.com 27 June 2016
  67. "Carlyle-led consortium agrees to buy 7 Days for $688 million", "www.reuters.com"
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  69. “China's Jin Jiang buys controlling stake in budget 7 Days”
  70. "Plateno Group","www.platenogroup.com"
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