Elon Musk could be joining a long list of wealthy investors using their fortunes to invest in one specific sport, as experts have advised him to start low and copy the path of one specific Hollywood pairing.
It's certainly no secret that Elon Musk is rich - richer than anyone else on Earth, in fact - and while his investment in a company like X (formerly Twitter) hasn't exactly gone to plan, he's still got a significant fortune to play with.
Recent news has seen Musk's SpaceX likely to become the most valuable private company in the world, and his leadership of Tesla has seen the electric car company dominate that sector of the vehicle market.
Advert
While many would say that he doesn't have the time for any more ventures, between his existing companies, his new role at the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and even his love for gaming, rumors suggest that he could be eyeing up another key investment.
American investment in the English footballing pyramid has become significant over the past 15 years, with firms like Clearlake and Fenway Sports Group alongside family dynasties like the Glazers and Kroenkes at the helm of the Premier League's top clubs.
However, it is within England's lower divisions that real opportunity appears to be arising, and no one has highlighted that better than Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who led taken non-league Wrexham to back-to-back promotions under their ownership.
Advert
A football club in the EFL League One isn't exactly a goldmine when it comes to money or viewership, but the pair have driven fan interest through the club's partner documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham' on Disney+, and it has since seen other American investment blossom in the English Football League.
Will Ferrell and the 49ers Enterprises have control over Leeds United, Tom Brady has seized control over Birmingham City, and even A$AP Rocky has his eyes on a takeover of Tranmere Rovers.
Elon Musk could, however, be next in line for EFL ownership though, as one professor of Applied Sports Finance at Sheffield Hallam University has detailed why the tech mogul would be the perfect next candidate.
Dr. Rob Wilson explains to OLBG: "If Elon Musk wants to get into football club ownership, Cheltenham Town are an extraordinarily interesting prospect, particularly to the US market."
Advert
The Gloucestershire-based club is currently sitting in 15th in League Two and would benefit hugely from outside investment, and it's stadium, Whaddon Road, is even currently named 'The EV Charger Points Stadium' - it's a match made in heaven!
That's not all though, as Dr. Wilson shows why the surrounding area would be perfect for any traveling tourists:
"You've got these beautiful rolling hills in the background, you've got the racecourse so there is a really powerful story and a powerful narrative at a club like Cheltenham."
What better way to encourage US tourists to make the trip than a stay in the Cotswolds and a trip down to the races?
Advert
This isn't the first time that Musk has flirted with football ownership though, as he Tweeted in August 2022: "Also, I'm buying Manchester United ur welcome."
This was around the time that the Glazer family were floating ownership bids for the club, prior to INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority investment, although Musk quickly rebuked this claim, explaining: "No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter, I'm not buying any sports teams."
Advert
Could this perhaps change a couple years on though, with Cheltenham being the club on Musk's mind? Perhaps he'd be more convinced if he was allowed to change the name to X FC.