“You might not recognise Dan Friedkin if you bumped into him,” observed the Houston Chronicle earlier this year. Although the billionaire businessman is “one of the wealthiest people” in the city (Forbes puts his worth at $6.4 billion), he keeps a relatively low profile. In Europe, on the other hand, his star is rising and rising – because of his love of the beautiful game. Having bought the Italian club AS Roma in 2020, Friedkin has now emerged as a potential white knight for Britain’s troubled Everton FC, says the Financial Times. Earlier this month he started talks to buy the heavily indebted club from its current owner, Farhad Moshiri, after another US suitor – the troubled Miami investment group 777 Partners – failed to complete its takeover.
If Friedkin wins the club, fans can expect a dash of derring-do. Although his wealth derives from an unglamorous car and autoparts empire, he is also a Hollywood producer and “stunt pilot” with a passion for collecting vintage planes. When the director of Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan, was casting around for Spitfires to feature in the film, he discovered that Friedkin owned six of them – and went on to secure his services as the pilot of the aeroplane, ostensibly flown by actor Tom Hardy, that made a dramatic landing on Dunkirk beach. Friedkin later won an award for “best speciality stunt” for the feat.
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Dan Friedkin's cautious optimism in Liverpool
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