Martha Stewart has become the latest celebrity to invest in Swansea City FC, joining rapper Snoop Dogg and footballer Luka Modric as a minority owner of the Welsh club. The announcement was made on the club's website by owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen, though the size of her investment was not disclosed.
Swansea City, which plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football, has been owned by an American consortium since 2016. Cravatt and Cohen, co-founders of Los Angeles marketing company Centerfield, took control last year. They noted that Stewart attended the club's recent 2-1 comeback win over Wrexham AFC.
Stewart, often credited as the first self-made female billionaire in the US, built a lifestyle brand around her catering company and has written 99 books. She served five months in prison in 2004 for conspiracy and obstruction of justice related to a share sale. In recent years, she has formed an unlikely friendship with Snoop Dogg, appearing with him at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The addition of Stewart does not signal major transfer activity, with Cravatt and Cohen stating that the January window is not expected to be busy for the club. They emphasised the development of young players under new head coach Vítor Matos.
This move highlights the growing influence of US owners in British football, drawn by heritage and potential financial returns. Other examples include Tom Brady's minority stake at Birmingham City and the Hollywood-backed success of Wrexham AFC, which has secured three consecutive promotions.
