#8 Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
More popularly known as Sheikh Mansour, he is the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi granting him considerable influence in both the political and sporting scene.
With a net worth estimated to be $38 billion, the Sheikh owns stakes in a number of business ventures including Sky Arabia. He’s also the owner of Abu Dhabi United Group (ABUG), a specialist investment group that successfully took over Manchester City in September 2008 and oversaw their transformation into one of the top contenders for the English top-flight.
He also founded Manchester City’s sister club, New York City FC that began playing in the MLS from the 2015 season and owns FC Melbourne City which participates in the Australian A-League.
Few have managed to shape the landscape of football as much as Mansour, with the billions he has poured into the sport upsetting traditional monopolies in the various leagues.