British billionaire Joe Lewis, the principal figure behind Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, has been granted a presidential pardon by Donald Trump for his insider trading and conspiracy convictions.
The Controversial Pardon
Joe Lewis, aged 88, received this extraordinary clemency more than a year after pleading guilty to serious financial crimes in a New York court. The pardon enables the wealthy businessman to receive medical treatment in the United States and visit his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to a White House official speaking anonymously.
The development emerged on Thursday 13th November 2025, though the Trump administration has yet to make an official announcement regarding the pardon. Lewis had previously been fined $5 million for his crimes and faced potential imprisonment before receiving this presidential reprieve.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
In January 2024, Lewis admitted his guilt in court, acknowledging that he knew sharing confidential information from corporate boardrooms with friends, employees and romantic partners was wrong. Between 2019 and 2021, he had provided insider tips about publicly traded companies, encouraging recipients to profit from this non-public information.
During his April 2024 sentencing, Lewis expressed remorse to Judge G.L. Clarke, stating: "Your honor, I'm here today because I made a terrible mistake. I'm ashamed." He pledged to "make amends and to rebuild the trust that I have squandered" throughout his remaining years.
The court spared Lewis prison time, primarily citing his declining health and lifetime of charitable works. At the time of his plea, he had been free on $300 million bail, one of the largest bail amounts in recent memory.
Financial Penalties and Business Empire
Beyond the $5 million sentencing fine, court proceedings revealed that Lewis and his company Broad Bay Limited would pay over $50 million in additional financial penalties. These substantial sums represent just a fraction of Lewis's vast fortune, which Forbes once estimated at exceeding $6 billion.
Lewis's business interests span multiple sectors including real estate, biotechnology, energy and agriculture. His Tavistock Group controls all or part of more than 200 companies worldwide, while his impressive art collection features works by Picasso, Matisse and Degas.
The billionaire has also developed high-profile business relationships with celebrities including Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Justin Timberlake, collaborating on a Bahamian oceanside resort that opened in 2010.
Tottenham Hotspur Connection
Lewis first acquired an interest in Tottenham Hotspur in 2001, establishing control over one of England's most historic football clubs. Under his ownership, the Premier League team constructed a state-of-the-art stadium costing approximately $1 billion.
Currently, a family trust benefiting Lewis's relatives holds majority ownership of ENIC, the holding company that controls Tottenham Hotspur. Corporate filings indicate that Lewis himself is not a beneficiary of this trust and relinquished operational control of the club in October 2022.
The pardon represents a dramatic turn in Lewis's legal battles, allowing the octogenarian billionaire to navigate US travel restrictions that would otherwise have complicated his medical care and family visits following his criminal convictions.
