James Anderson unmasked as Hearts' mystery SPFL investor who plans multi-million pound donation for Scottish football
James Anderson is renowned as an investor with the Midas touch and now he wants to gold plate the future for cash strapped Scottish football.
He oversees a portfolio of interests at Scottish investment firm Baillie Gifford that reads like a who’s who of A-list brands.
Anderson controls a trust that’s worth almost £10 billion and which holds an £850 million investment in
Amazon, £800 million in electric car manufacturer Tesla and £600 million in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
He has a stake worth £250 million in
Ferrari, £50 million in Facebook, £300 million in Netflix, £160 million in Spotify and £285 million in Kering, owners of luxury goods companies Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen.
But it’s Forfar and Montrose, Stranraer, East Fife and Albion Rovers among others that could soon benefit from his amazing largesse.
The philanthropist has pledged to make a multi-million donation to the
SPFL and its member clubs to see them through the worst of the Covid-19 crisis.
He and other wealthy backers have already gifted £9 million to
Hearts over the last seven years, with a relationship that is believed to have first begun when he agreed to underwrite their shirt sponsorship to Save The Children for a significant six figure sum.
Hearts will controversially drop to the championship next season after the Premiership was called early, even though they were only four points from safety with eight games still to play.
However Anderson and Hearts chairman Ann Budge, who brought him to the SPFL’s table, are at pains to point out his donation is no clumsy inducement to ensure the Tynecastle club are still playing top flight football next season.
Insiders say his integrity is beyond reproach and he is far too credible to lay any conditions on his gift to clubs, which will be discussed by SPFL members in a series of meetings over the next 48 hours.
Anderson also confirmed: “These commitments are not dependent on league reconstruction. They are not contingent. They are to help in a desperate situation.”
It’s believed the donation to the SPFL may even be the first of many for at least the next five seasons, with the 60-year-old respected as a long term player in both his investments and charitable involvements.
It is not known yet if only lower league clubs will benefit, or if he could also make funds available to clubs in the Premiership.
One source said: “James understands the extent to which communities and cultural institutions have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis and appreciates the vital role football plays in Scottish day-to-day life.
“Categorically, this is no Trojan horse for some SPFL takeover or a plan to keep Hearts in the Premiership. He is simply an individual who has done well in business life and understands the importance of giving back.”
Anderson and his wife Morag are well known sponsors of a range of Scottish institutions, including Scottish Opera and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
They are particularly keen on supporting education for kids and have previously backed Sistema, the youth orchestra programme in socially disadvantaged areas, and learning projects for poorer children at the Edinburgh Festival.
Anderson’s Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust owns around 7.5 per cent in Tesla, second only to company founder Elon Musk.
Anderson is on first name terms with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, whom he once described as “my corporate hero.”
But he is not afraid to call out business leaders and rounded on his own industry in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008 for not doing more to help the Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of Scotland from financial collapse.
He even called out Musk for his attack on British diver Vernon Unsworth, labelled a “pedo” on Twitter by the Tesla chief after he helped rescue 12 boys and their football coach from caves in Thailand.
Anderson said at the time: “We are in contact with the company and we are hopeful that it is being taken with due seriousness.”
Anderson graduated in history from Oxford University and also studied in Italy and Canada. He is a trustee of the Johns Hopkins University, a renowned private research university in Baltimore, Maryland.
He joined Baillie Gifford in 1983, when he was 23, and became a partner four years later. He was raised in Norfolk, but has spoken of his Scottish roots, declaring proudly: “My grandfather was Archibald Kennedy Anderson”.
Budge has protected the identity of Andrson, at his request, but previously revealed he only ever made one request on the back of his £9 million donation.
he said: “He asked for a relaxation of the dress code in the boardroom because he doesn’t like wearing a tie to games.”
Private equity firms have recently been eyeing Italy’s top league, Serie A, for potential business amid Coronavirus pandemic.
CVC Capital Partners and Blackstone BX are both reportedly ready to bid around £2 billion for a 20 per cent stake in the league.
But one source said: “Categorically, that is not in the plans of James, or Baillie Gifford. This is purely a donation from a philanthropist keen to help Scottish football through the most challenging period in its history.”
Premiership clubs plan to return to training in a fortnight in time for the new season kick off on August 1, but even Scottish government advisors admit that could be optimistic.
Top flight games are likely to be played behind closed doors in the opening months, with fears the championship - and Hearts - may not kick a ball until October.
Clubs in League One and League Two may even have to go into hibernation for 12 months and start all over again next summer.
One source said: “The coming weeks will be crucial, but with the support of James it should help ease some of the worst financial fears of our clubs throughout the SPFL.”
From The Record/Hollicom
www.bbc.co.uk
