Tom Brady Buys Minority Ownership Stake in English Football Club Birmingham City

Tom Brady has become a minority owner of Birmingham City Football Club, the club announced on Thursday.

As part of the investment, Brady will also become the chairman of Birmingham City’s Advisory Board. According to the club, part of Brady’s focus will be on global marketing and commercial partnerships.

Thursday also happens to be Brady’s 46th birthday, and the club wasted no time celebrating.

Birmingham City plays in England’s Championship League, the second tier of professional English soccer below the Premier League. The team, founded in 1875, is based in Birmingham, the second largest city in England after London. Birmingham City ended last season in 17th place with a 14-11-21 record.

In July, New York-based hedge fund Knighthead Capital and its co-founder Tom Wagner obtained a majority ownership stake in Birmingham City through a subsidiary, Shelby Companies Ltd. Brady and Wagner have been connected before, as the two invested in a Major League Pickleball team last year.

In addition to Birmingham City and pickleball, Brady has also gained ownership stakes in three other teams this year: the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL, the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA and a team in E1, an electric boat racing championship.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion and a three-time NFL MVP, announced his retirement in February after 23 seasons — 20 of which he played with the New England Patriots before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

Brady’s previous business deals include work as an “ambassador” for bankrupt cryptocurrency company FTX. Brady and his ex-wife, Giselle Bündchen, along with a slew of other celebrities who promoted FTX, have been named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit, claiming that they violated Florida laws intended to protect investors from unfair trade practices and fraud.

Birmingham City’s first game will be played Saturday at Swansea City A.F.C.

“Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion,” Brady said in the club’s statement. “I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.”