Donald Trump has pardoned Joe Lewis, the British billionaire and former owner of Tottenham Hotspur FC, over a 2024 conviction for insider trading. Lewis, 88, was fined $5 million and given three years probation by a New York judge last year but avoided jail time after pleading guilty to involvement in a scheme prosecutors described as 'brazen'.
The scheme was designed to enrich Lewis's friends, lovers, and employees through share tips based on inside information. Prosecutors documented the details in a 29-page dossier in 2023, alleging Lewis passed tips to his private jet pilot and then-girlfriend Carolyn Carter, among others.
Lewis initially pleaded not guilty, with his lawyers calling the charges an 'egregious' mistake, but later changed his plea after prosecutors agreed to a non-custodial sentence. At sentencing, he told the court: 'I made a terrible mistake. I broke the law. I am ashamed, sorry, and I hold myself accountable.'
The White House confirmed the pardon, noting Lewis requested it to receive medical treatment and visit family in the US. The $5 million fine will not be repaid. Lewis said: 'I am pleased all of this is now behind me, and I can enjoy retirement.'
Lewis transferred his majority stake in Tottenham to a family trust in 2022. The club is now overseen by his daughter Vivienne, son Charles, and grandson-in-law Nick Beucher.
