Mastermind behind NFL’s stadium of the future shunned architecture career to build $13.9bn empire

Shahid Khan has one of sport’s most remarkable stories.

The 75-year-old boasts a $13.9billion empire that consists of NFL team, the Jacksonville Jaguars and English Premier League team, Fulham, a portfolio that was likely unimaginable to him when he arrived in the United States as a 16-year-old in 1967.

Khan moved to the United States to study engineering at the University of Illinois.

After graduating in 1971, he moved into the automotive industry, working at the manufacturing company Flex-N-Gate as the engineering director.

It didn’t take long for Khan’s entrepreneurial spirit to emerge, as in 1978, he started his own company called Bumper Works.

Two years later, he then bought his former employer, Flex-N-Gate, from his old boss Charles Gleason.

Shahid Khan’s sports expansion

After his company began making millions in revenue each year and eventually an estimated $2bn in sales by 2010, Khan looked to expand his business portfolio.

In February 2010, he tried to buy the then St.Louis Rams but was beaten to it by Stan Kroenke, who was a minority shareholder and had a clause in his deal that let him match any proposed bid.

Therefore, Khan looked elsewhere and by January 2012 he was the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, buying the team for $770m.

Less than two years later, Khan was in the market for another sports team.

This time London soccer club Fulham F.C. and by July 2013, he had completed a deal to buy the team from its previous owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, which was completed for an estimated amount of $300 million.

Since then, Khan has taken an active role in both teams, often seen at games of both sides, despite the ocean that separates them.

@Jaguars

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Khan’s only notable big purchase since has been a super yacht he built in 2024 for over $450m.

The yacht made headlines earlier this year after it was parked at the New Orleans waterfront during the Super Bowl.

Jacksonville’s stadium of the future

While the Jaguars have struggled since Khan purchased the team over 13 years ago, there is room for optimism.

This is because after this upcoming season is concluded, construction of a new $1.4bn stadium will begin.

Khan’s Jaguars will contribute $625m to the stadium, while the city of Jacksonville will cough up over $775m.

The stadium will be open-air and will host up to 63,000 spectators.

The Jaguars’ new home, which should be ready by the 2028 season, is dubbed the stadium of the future as a result of some its stunning features.

Most notably, a next-generation transparent protective shell that provides sun, wind and rain protection and can lower temperatures by 15 degrees.

It will also feature immersive in-bowl tech, skyline and riverside decks.

Khan’s career nearly took a wild turn

It’s not just the Jagurs that are having their home changed, either, with Khan’s other team, Fulham, also enjoying investment into their stadium.

Fulham recently completed their Riverside stand, which is equipped with a swimming pool and high-end restaurants, a first of its kind in the Premier League.

Khan’s venture into remarkable designs like the one at Fulham and the one occurring in Jacksonbille is born out of passion; a passion that nearly saw him not become an engineer but instead an architect.

“Frankly, it’s a passion for me. I seriously thought about being an architect, and I even started the first year in engineering school. But then I saw how much money they were making,” Khan told The Observer.

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“The challenge of space design is, how do you come up with something that’s iconic, efficient and really touches people in a good way?”

This is also why Khan nearly bought Wembley stadium in 2018 and while the deal fell through, he hasn’t ruled out one day buying the famous colosseum.

“We’ve got a great relationship [with Wembley] and for the time being we are doing great, so all is good,” he said.

Maybe one day, Khan may own three of the world’s finest stadiums.