Kia Joorabchian

Infobox_Celebrity
name = Kia Joorabchian


birth_date = Birth date and age|1971|7|14|df=y
birth_place = Tehran, Iran
occupation = Businessman, founder and President of Media Sports Investments - + | networth = Gain £60.75 million
website = [http://www.mediasportsinvestments.com/ www.mediasportsinvestments.com]

Kiavash "Kia" Joorabchian (PerB|کیا جورابچيان, born 14 July 1971, in Tehran, Iran) is a British Iranian businessman.

Biography

Third son of Iranian businessman, Mohammed Joorabchian,cite news
title = Colourful life of car dealer turned oil trader who wants to own Hammers
url = http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article1269470.ece
publisher = The Independent
date = 2006-09-02
accessdate = 2007-07-19] Kia and his family fled Iran following the fall of the Shah. They came to Great Britain, where his father ran car dealerships. Eventually, Joorabchian was sent to Shiplake College in Oxfordshire for his education. He went on to study chemistry and business studies at Queen Mary, University of London, dropping out in his second year.cite news
title = Joorabchian oils the wheels that make the deals
url = http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1864232,00.html
publisher = Guardian unlimited
date = 2006-09-04
accessdate = 2007-07-19]

Joorabchian is understood to have become a multi-millionaire from the sale of his equity company, American Capital. He founded Media Sports Investments in 2004, which he used to take over Brazilian football club Corinthians, in a 10 year deal.cite news
title = Is this man the new Abramovich or is he a front for the real thing?
url = http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1370763,00.html
publisher = Guardian unlimited
date = 2004-12-10
accessdate = 2007-07-19] After he bought the club, he moved to Brazil and changed the way business was run, as the club had an increased revenue of 500% in the first year.

Joorabchian had been linked with a bid for football club West Ham United in August 2005,cite news
title = Investor 'eyes £70m Hammers deal'
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/4748113.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-08-05
accessdate = 2007-07-19] and said he would make £100m available for buying players if his bid was successful.cite news
title = Hammers promised takeover bounty
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/4161914.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2005-08-18
accessdate = 2007-07-19] However, this deal came to an end when he and the club failed to agree on a valuation.cite news
title = West Ham takeover plan scrapped
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/4467656.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2005-11-24
accessdate = 2007-07-19]

Joorabchian resigned as president of MSI in June 2006.cite news
title = West Ham sign Tevez & Mascherano
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/5301068.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-08-31
accessdate = 2007-07-19] His company, MSI, was behind the controversial transfer of Carlos Tévez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham United in August 2006. In September 2006, Joorabchian had again been linked with a take-over of West Ham United.cite news
title = Joorabchian may make Hammers bid
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/5317254.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-09-05
accessdate = 2007-07-19] His interest in taking over the club came to an end as he failed to make any offer for the club.cite news
title = West Ham accept £85m takeover bid
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/6165272.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-11-21
accessdate = 2007-07-19] Joorabchian had been linked with a move for Fulham in early 2007 and more recently Southampton.cite news
title = Football takeover trends
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6179569.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-02-06
accessdate = 2007-07-19]

Joorabchian hit out at West Ham over Carlos Tévez's move to Manchester United on 12 July 2007 via a statement through MSI, saying "West Ham have consistently provided private assurances while at the same time making contrary statements to the public at large". United could not complete their move for Tévez unless the Premier League were convinced his economic rights were owned by West Ham and not Joorabchian.cite news
title = Tevez adviser hits out at Hammers
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/6905709.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-07-19
accessdate = 2007-07-19] Joorabchian claimed he and his company held Tévez's economic rights, which West Ham denied, saying the player was registered with them.cite news
title = Joorabchian to reveal 'true circumstances' of Tevez deal
url = http://breakingnews.iol.ie/sport/story.asp?j=225640424&p=zz564yy3x
publisher = IOL
date = 2007-07-19
accessdate = 2007-07-19]

On 13 July 2007 Joorabchian was the subject of an international arrest warrant for money laundering at Corinthians (in which Joorabchian's company MSI is a majority investor) by Brazillian Judge Fausto Martin de Sanctis. Joorabchian insisted all of his financial dealings were cleared by the Brazilian Central Bank.cite news
title = Joorabchian denies money-laundering
url = http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=445360&cc=5739
publisher = ESPNsoccernet
date = 2007-07-13
accessdate = 2007-07-19]

Joorabchian denied responsibility for the fall of Corinthians to the Brazilian championship's second division, [http://www.lancenet.com.br/clubes/COR/noticias/07-12-04/202320.stm] a position supported by the ex-coach of the team, Antonio Lopes. [ [http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/ge_noticias/bin/noticia.php?chid=111&nwid=21672 Gazeta Esportiva.Net - Futebol - Seu Time - Corinthians ] ]

In January 2008 it was reported that he was mounting a £50 million take over bid for Southampton. [cite news| title = Tycoon Wants Southampton| url = http://goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=536171
publisher = goal.com| date = 2008-01-05| accessdate = 2008-01-06] In 19th August 2008, his arrest order was suspended by Brazilian justice. [cite news| title = STF concede liminar em habeas corpus a Kia Joorabchian| url = http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/ge_noticias/bin/noticia.php?chid=111&nwid=23745| publisher = gazetaespoetiva.net| date = 2008-08-19 accessdate = 2008-08-20]

Joorabchian is a transfer adviser at West Ham United.cite news
title = Curbishley 'made transfer errors'
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/7597097.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-09-04
accessdate = 2008-09-11]

Notes