However, Redknapp, who was Spurs manager between 2008 and 2012, has previously said Lewis was only interested in Tottenham as an investment. “Joe doesn’t go to watch Tottenham play and, not to appear disrespectful, he’s probably only half-interested in watching games,” Redknapp said in April when the ESL was announced. “It’s a chance to make more money for his investment and that’s what he’ll do.”
Lewis has been driven by money from an early age. Born above the Roman Arms pub in Bow, east London, he left school at 15 to help at his father’s catering company Tavistock Banqueting. Starting out as a waiter on £6 a week, Lewis hit upon a plan to attract more passing trade by carrying a concrete bus stop sign up the road to outside one of Tavistock’s cafes.
Soon he took over from his father and expanded into tourist restaurants with names such as Shakespeare’s Tavern, the Beefeater, and the Cockney, that offered lowbrow entertainment such as sword swallowers and knights in armour. They led the way to themed restaurant chains, and Lewis invested in his protege Robert Earl’s ventures Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Café.
Lewis had brushes with the stars of the 1960s at a club he managed called The Talk of the Town, where Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross and Tom Jones all performed. He sold the family business in 1979 and relocated to the Bahamas, moving into the exclusive Lyford Cay, where neighbours included the late Sean Connery (who shot scenes for Thunderball on the beach there), and Count and Countess de Ravenel of France.
As well as improving on his golf swing and tennis backhand, Lewis set himself up as a currency trader. Famously, he is said to have made more than £1bn betting against the pound on Black Wednesday in 1992. He hit the jackpot again three years later betting against the Mexican peso.
Not all his financial bets have worked out so well, though. In 2008 he lost £1bn buying up shares in the US bank Bear Stearns as it teetered on the brink of collapse at the start of the financial crisis. Just days later it collapsed. His Tavistock Group holding company (named after his father’s catering business) now owns more than 200 businesses in 17 countries ranging from luxury hotels, and restaurants to biotechnology and financial services firms.
A keen golfer, Lewis also owns the luxury gated community of Isleworth Golf and Country club in Florida, where Tiger Woods has a $40m mansion. Lewis once paid £1.4m at a charity auction for the privilege of a round with Woods, and the pair became friends, with Woods once telling an interviewer he tended to run business ventures past Lewis.
Lewis does not do media. The only on-the-record interview with him in the last 25 years was given to the New York Times in 1998, in which he said: “One of the rewards of your success is the quiet enjoyment of it. Being on the front page of newspapers doesn’t allow that … The mystery to me is why there’s anything of particular interest about me.’’
In a separate Guardian article former legend and manager Glenn Hoddle says:
‘One of my big regrets was the money wasn’t there at Spurs to build a title-winning side’
"Enic, which is registered 4,000 miles away from N17 at a Nassau lawyers’ office that specialises in creating offshore tax structures and cropped up regularly in the Panama papers financial secrets leak, owns 85.6% of Tottenham Hotspur Limited."
-------
Made this same point many times when Spurs fans bleat on about "financially doped" clubs or West Ham's free stadium.
Well first off there is a very strong smell coming from Spurs financially, a Jimmy Carr/Gary Barlow kind of smell.
Second, Spurs are not British owned, Spurs are a Bahamian owned club.
Sandy used to have strong views on 'Financial Doping'.
I guess tax avoidance is ok though.
Spurs pay their proper share of taxes and contribute immensely to local community.
There is no tax issue that can be used against us.
I could understand if Lewis was pumping his money into the club, money that maybe should be tax, but he doesn't.
Yeh he’s tax dodging twaaaat
Hod Idol
"There is no tax issue that can be used against us"
---
Totally correct, legally huge difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.
Morally, not so much.
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
comment by Ace (U22467)
posted 9 minutes ago
He’s an absolutecunt, the day he dies of a massive stroke and keels over the side of his yacht never to be seen again I’ll put the facking flags out, can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned the facking repugnant grasping old spunking toss bag.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FFS Ace, stop beating about the bush. If you've got something to say then get off the fence and let it out.
comment by Ace (U22467)
posted 1 hour, 26 minutes ago
He’s an absolutecunt, the day he dies of a massive stroke and keels over the side of his yacht never to be seen again I’ll put the facking flags out, can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned the facking repugnant grasping old spunking toss bag.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lewis, Levy and ENIC are businessmen first and foremost, that is what their main focus is, not a successful football team.
comment by Ace (U22467)
posted 6 hours, 8 minutes ago
He’s an absolutecunt, the day he dies of a massive stroke and keels over the side of his yacht never to be seen again I’ll put the facking flags out, can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned the facking repugnant grasping old spunking toss bag.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I seldom agree with Ace, but on this topic I have to give Ace an
I've been saying it for months...wait till Joe goes!
And thanks to Hezzman for posting this farticle on Lewis.
it's a cringy article laced heavily with anti rich sentiment and the fact is most of you wouldnt be calling him morally bankrupt and worse if he pumped millions into the club, you'd be defending him like Chelsea and City fans do their owners.
So Spurs fans can't get on their high horse about how this guy acquires his wealth, it just down to how he spends it. You would care how he earns his money if he spent it on Spurs.
You could get him to play Scrooge I the Spurs Christmas Panto
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 1 hour, 38 minutes ago
it's a cringy article laced heavily with anti rich sentiment and the fact is most of you wouldnt be calling him morally bankrupt and worse if he pumped millions into the club, you'd be defending him like Chelsea and City fans do their owners.
So Spurs fans can't get on their high horse about how this guy acquires his wealth, it just down to how he spends it. You would care how he earns his money if he spent it on Spurs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What a cuck . He’s a billionaire tax dodger - there’s nothing sanctimonious about that, can keep your strawman arguments all you want.
comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 1 hour, 38 minutes ago
it's a cringy article laced heavily with anti rich sentiment and the fact is most of you wouldnt be calling him morally bankrupt and worse if he pumped millions into the club, you'd be defending him like Chelsea and City fans do their owners.
So Spurs fans can't get on their high horse about how this guy acquires his wealth, it just down to how he spends it. You would care how he earns his money if he spent it on Spurs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What a cuck. He’s a billionaire tax dodger - there’s nothing sanctimonious about that, can keep your strawman arguments all you want.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You know that if Lewis had pumped £1bn of his own money in and projected us to glory he'd be your hero and you wouldnt be calling him out for being a tax exile.
Just more faux outrage from a hypocrite.
That whole guardian piece is punctuated with
.....much the same sentiment
No I don’t think that would be happening. I am aware of the vast sums of money they have been pumped into our stadium and training ground and it changes nothing for me. Don’t project your own insecurities because you have no substance.
comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 5 minutes ago
No I don’t think that would be happening. I am aware of the vast sums of money they have been pumped into our stadium and training ground and it changes nothing for me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nah, of course you wouldnt
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 11 minutes ago
Lewis out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For what reasons?
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 11 minutes ago
Lewis out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For what reasons?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where do we start?
Why wouldn`t you want rid of him and replaced with somebody with the intention to build a successful football team rather than build the value of his investment through property development etc.
He has been here 20 years and the football operation has achieved fack all on the pitch in that time.
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 11 minutes ago
Lewis out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For what reasons?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where do we start?
Why wouldn`t you want rid of him and replaced with somebody with the intention to build a successful football team rather than build the value of his investment through property development etc.
He has been here 20 years and the football operation has achieved fack all on the pitch in that time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
By which you mean, pump his millions/billions in.
People seem to miss the point that if you make a club financially successful then they will stand a greater chance of being successful on the pitch....some have achieved this by making the club successful on the pitch with their own money to drive financial success but this is largely the exception.
Joe Lewis acts in no different way to the Liverpool owners. Criticism of Levy i can understand because he is more about the day to day running and decision making and it is those choices that have held us back.
As an owner Lewis is pretty passive but that is hardly a reason to kick him out?
Mind you, you've always made your desire for a sugar daddy pretty clear and I have always voiced my criticism of that as an ambition.
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 39 minutes ago
comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 5 minutes ago
No I don’t think that would be happening. I am aware of the vast sums of money they have been pumped into our stadium and training ground and it changes nothing for me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nah, of course you wouldnt
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I wouldn’t, if you’d read any of my comments on similar situations you’d know I’ve been consistent. However continue to be libellous and see where it goes
Sign in if you want to comment
Guardian article on Joe Lewis
Page 1 of 2
posted on 14/11/21
However, Redknapp, who was Spurs manager between 2008 and 2012, has previously said Lewis was only interested in Tottenham as an investment. “Joe doesn’t go to watch Tottenham play and, not to appear disrespectful, he’s probably only half-interested in watching games,” Redknapp said in April when the ESL was announced. “It’s a chance to make more money for his investment and that’s what he’ll do.”
Lewis has been driven by money from an early age. Born above the Roman Arms pub in Bow, east London, he left school at 15 to help at his father’s catering company Tavistock Banqueting. Starting out as a waiter on £6 a week, Lewis hit upon a plan to attract more passing trade by carrying a concrete bus stop sign up the road to outside one of Tavistock’s cafes.
Soon he took over from his father and expanded into tourist restaurants with names such as Shakespeare’s Tavern, the Beefeater, and the Cockney, that offered lowbrow entertainment such as sword swallowers and knights in armour. They led the way to themed restaurant chains, and Lewis invested in his protege Robert Earl’s ventures Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Café.
Lewis had brushes with the stars of the 1960s at a club he managed called The Talk of the Town, where Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross and Tom Jones all performed. He sold the family business in 1979 and relocated to the Bahamas, moving into the exclusive Lyford Cay, where neighbours included the late Sean Connery (who shot scenes for Thunderball on the beach there), and Count and Countess de Ravenel of France.
As well as improving on his golf swing and tennis backhand, Lewis set himself up as a currency trader. Famously, he is said to have made more than £1bn betting against the pound on Black Wednesday in 1992. He hit the jackpot again three years later betting against the Mexican peso.
Not all his financial bets have worked out so well, though. In 2008 he lost £1bn buying up shares in the US bank Bear Stearns as it teetered on the brink of collapse at the start of the financial crisis. Just days later it collapsed. His Tavistock Group holding company (named after his father’s catering business) now owns more than 200 businesses in 17 countries ranging from luxury hotels, and restaurants to biotechnology and financial services firms.
A keen golfer, Lewis also owns the luxury gated community of Isleworth Golf and Country club in Florida, where Tiger Woods has a $40m mansion. Lewis once paid £1.4m at a charity auction for the privilege of a round with Woods, and the pair became friends, with Woods once telling an interviewer he tended to run business ventures past Lewis.
Lewis does not do media. The only on-the-record interview with him in the last 25 years was given to the New York Times in 1998, in which he said: “One of the rewards of your success is the quiet enjoyment of it. Being on the front page of newspapers doesn’t allow that … The mystery to me is why there’s anything of particular interest about me.’’
posted on 14/11/21
In a separate Guardian article former legend and manager Glenn Hoddle says:
‘One of my big regrets was the money wasn’t there at Spurs to build a title-winning side’
posted on 14/11/21
"Enic, which is registered 4,000 miles away from N17 at a Nassau lawyers’ office that specialises in creating offshore tax structures and cropped up regularly in the Panama papers financial secrets leak, owns 85.6% of Tottenham Hotspur Limited."
-------
Made this same point many times when Spurs fans bleat on about "financially doped" clubs or West Ham's free stadium.
Well first off there is a very strong smell coming from Spurs financially, a Jimmy Carr/Gary Barlow kind of smell.
Second, Spurs are not British owned, Spurs are a Bahamian owned club.
posted on 14/11/21
Sandy used to have strong views on 'Financial Doping'.
I guess tax avoidance is ok though.
posted on 14/11/21
Spurs pay their proper share of taxes and contribute immensely to local community.
There is no tax issue that can be used against us.
I could understand if Lewis was pumping his money into the club, money that maybe should be tax, but he doesn't.
posted on 14/11/21
Yeh he’s tax dodging twaaaat
posted on 14/11/21
Hod Idol
"There is no tax issue that can be used against us"
---
Totally correct, legally huge difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.
Morally, not so much.
posted on 14/11/21
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 14/11/21
comment by Ace (U22467)
posted 9 minutes ago
He’s an absolutecunt, the day he dies of a massive stroke and keels over the side of his yacht never to be seen again I’ll put the facking flags out, can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned the facking repugnant grasping old spunking toss bag.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FFS Ace, stop beating about the bush. If you've got something to say then get off the fence and let it out.
posted on 14/11/21
comment by Ace (U22467)
posted 1 hour, 26 minutes ago
He’s an absolutecunt, the day he dies of a massive stroke and keels over the side of his yacht never to be seen again I’ll put the facking flags out, can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned the facking repugnant grasping old spunking toss bag.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
posted on 14/11/21
Lewis, Levy and ENIC are businessmen first and foremost, that is what their main focus is, not a successful football team.
posted on 14/11/21
comment by Ace (U22467)
posted 6 hours, 8 minutes ago
He’s an absolutecunt, the day he dies of a massive stroke and keels over the side of his yacht never to be seen again I’ll put the facking flags out, can’t come soon enough as far as I’m concerned the facking repugnant grasping old spunking toss bag.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I seldom agree with Ace, but on this topic I have to give Ace an
I've been saying it for months...wait till Joe goes!
posted on 14/11/21
And thanks to Hezzman for posting this farticle on Lewis.
posted on 15/11/21
it's a cringy article laced heavily with anti rich sentiment and the fact is most of you wouldnt be calling him morally bankrupt and worse if he pumped millions into the club, you'd be defending him like Chelsea and City fans do their owners.
So Spurs fans can't get on their high horse about how this guy acquires his wealth, it just down to how he spends it. You would care how he earns his money if he spent it on Spurs.
posted on 15/11/21
You could get him to play Scrooge I the Spurs Christmas Panto
posted on 15/11/21
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 1 hour, 38 minutes ago
it's a cringy article laced heavily with anti rich sentiment and the fact is most of you wouldnt be calling him morally bankrupt and worse if he pumped millions into the club, you'd be defending him like Chelsea and City fans do their owners.
So Spurs fans can't get on their high horse about how this guy acquires his wealth, it just down to how he spends it. You would care how he earns his money if he spent it on Spurs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What a cuck . He’s a billionaire tax dodger - there’s nothing sanctimonious about that, can keep your strawman arguments all you want.
posted on 15/11/21
comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 1 hour, 38 minutes ago
it's a cringy article laced heavily with anti rich sentiment and the fact is most of you wouldnt be calling him morally bankrupt and worse if he pumped millions into the club, you'd be defending him like Chelsea and City fans do their owners.
So Spurs fans can't get on their high horse about how this guy acquires his wealth, it just down to how he spends it. You would care how he earns his money if he spent it on Spurs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What a cuck. He’s a billionaire tax dodger - there’s nothing sanctimonious about that, can keep your strawman arguments all you want.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You know that if Lewis had pumped £1bn of his own money in and projected us to glory he'd be your hero and you wouldnt be calling him out for being a tax exile.
Just more faux outrage from a hypocrite.
That whole guardian piece is punctuated with
posted on 15/11/21
.....much the same sentiment
posted on 15/11/21
No I don’t think that would be happening. I am aware of the vast sums of money they have been pumped into our stadium and training ground and it changes nothing for me. Don’t project your own insecurities because you have no substance.
posted on 15/11/21
Lewis out.
posted on 15/11/21
comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 5 minutes ago
No I don’t think that would be happening. I am aware of the vast sums of money they have been pumped into our stadium and training ground and it changes nothing for me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nah, of course you wouldnt
posted on 15/11/21
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 11 minutes ago
Lewis out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For what reasons?
posted on 15/11/21
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 11 minutes ago
Lewis out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For what reasons?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where do we start?
Why wouldn`t you want rid of him and replaced with somebody with the intention to build a successful football team rather than build the value of his investment through property development etc.
He has been here 20 years and the football operation has achieved fack all on the pitch in that time.
posted on 15/11/21
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by ● Billy The Yidd ● 2020* 2021* ENIC OUT! (U3924)
posted 11 minutes ago
Lewis out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For what reasons?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where do we start?
Why wouldn`t you want rid of him and replaced with somebody with the intention to build a successful football team rather than build the value of his investment through property development etc.
He has been here 20 years and the football operation has achieved fack all on the pitch in that time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
By which you mean, pump his millions/billions in.
People seem to miss the point that if you make a club financially successful then they will stand a greater chance of being successful on the pitch....some have achieved this by making the club successful on the pitch with their own money to drive financial success but this is largely the exception.
Joe Lewis acts in no different way to the Liverpool owners. Criticism of Levy i can understand because he is more about the day to day running and decision making and it is those choices that have held us back.
As an owner Lewis is pretty passive but that is hardly a reason to kick him out?
Mind you, you've always made your desire for a sugar daddy pretty clear and I have always voiced my criticism of that as an ambition.
posted on 15/11/21
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 39 minutes ago
comment by Edinspur (U1109)
posted 5 minutes ago
No I don’t think that would be happening. I am aware of the vast sums of money they have been pumped into our stadium and training ground and it changes nothing for me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nah, of course you wouldnt
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I wouldn’t, if you’d read any of my comments on similar situations you’d know I’ve been consistent. However continue to be libellous and see where it goes
Page 1 of 2