What Sheikh Jassim has been up to since Manchester United takeover failure

Sheikh Jassim's Manchester United takeover race ended five months ago but the Qatari banker has not been totally out of the headlines since.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani was a name plastered over the back pages of English newspapers for several months last year, yet remained an elusive figure.

Only a handful of photographs of the Qatari banker - son of former country prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, or ‘HBJ’ - were seen and good luck finding him on Wikipedia or social media.

Even his date of birth is a point of mysticism such is his secrecy, although we know he was born in 1982. He was presented as a lifelong Manchester United supporter who had a reverence for the Class of ‘92, naming his takeover bid vehicle as the ‘NineTwo Foundation’.

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Sheikh Jassim withdrew his 100 per cent buy-out bid after becoming disgruntled with the Glazers dragging their feet over his £5billion offer.

Little has been heard since then, although he has been linked with an interest in a stake in Tottenham, but that now seems dead in the water. Here is what he has been up to in the first few months of 2024.

January

Information released by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in relation to United’s takeover indicated that ‘Bidder A’ - Sheikh Jassim - had failed to provide basic documents needed for a buy-out to be completed.

In response, as per Sky Sports, the Qatari made steps towards taking legal advice in the US. His team were said to be seeking a corrective statement, but no update has come forth as yet.

Such judgements disparages the legitimacy of Sheikh Jassim’s competence to carry out investment, and is a hammer blow to any hopes of acquiring a stake in a Premier League club, including Tottenham.

His camp insists that all funds came from his personal funds via the NineTwo Foundation, and not the Qatar state, albeit human rights organisations have strongly pushed back against that claim.

February

Sheikh Jassim was spotted at the Asian Cup final alongside Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Than in Doha as Qatar beat Jordan 3-1. Or anyway, perhaps in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s eyes, the man who was pictured in those former photographs.

A few weeks later, Ratcliffe claimed that “still nobody's ever seen him”, citing how "The Glazers never met" the Sheikh.

During an interview with reporters, including the Manchester Evening News, the new United co-owner added: “He never... I'm not sure he exists! I think it's extraordinary, really.”

March

Sheikh Jassim appears to be in an Instagram post on his father’s account that was made within the last week. The caption outlines that HBJ was: “With Falah bin Jassim, sons Jassim, Muhammad, Fahd and Timim”.

Sheikh Falah bin Jassim Al Thani is thought to be a high-ranking businessman in Qatar and also a board member of Doha Bank.