Laurence Bassini is an English businessman who you probably know best from his turbulent stint as chairman of Watford Football Club.
He has since attempted to take over Bolton Wanderers, Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City, despite flitting between bankruptcies and even a name change.
Bassini’s first business venture, a hotel, failed in 2007 and he was forced to declare bankruptcy. He changed his name from ‘Bazini’ to Bassini in a bid to dissociate himself from the fiasco.
What happened in the interim is obscure but somehow, he took over Watford for £440,000 in 2011.
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He was only in charge for a year but produced a decade's worth of scandals and has become something of a pantomime villain for Hornets fans.
He dodged the annual Fans Forum and a radio phone-in, cancelling twice at the last minute, this incurred the ire of Watford fans.
He took out £3.5 million in loans using the clubs’ name, a sum that he was later forced to pay back. The club also lost £7 million under his tenure.
Bassini subsequently sent text messages mocking Watford fans. Such was his reputation for financial untrustworthiness that a club employee refused to hand him the keys to the club’s safe.
This forced Bassini to call the police on the man, an incident that has gone down in Watford lore as ‘Safegate’.
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As he inches towards a takeover of Birmingham City, many are understandably wondering how much Laurence Bassini is worth.
What Is Laurence Bassini’s Net Worth?
Despite a second bankruptcy after his spell at Watford, as of 2022, Bassini is worth an estimated $5 million (£4.1 million) according to showbizcorner.
After serving a 3-year ban from involvement in football and somehow managing to scrape together some cash, Bassini first tried to buy Bolton Wanderers in 2019.
He however was unable to provide proof of funds. A takeover attempt of Charlton Athletic likewise fell through in 2020.
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It now looks likely that his £35 million takeover of Birmingham City could be completed as early as next week.
Bassini keeps a tight lid on his private life and little is known about his family or where he lives. The source of his wealth is believed to be property holdings.
I’m sure that his name will scarcely stay out of the news as his reign over Birmingham looks set to begin soon.
Topics: Football, Celebrity Net Worth
Tom Hennessy