KKR founders among investors buying 42% of Peter Lim’s Valencia; club valued at US$1.4 billion

[SINGAPORE] Pitchwise Holdings – a consortium of US investors – has acquired a 42 per cent stake in Spanish football club Valencia from majority shareholder Meriton Holdings, which values the club at an enterprise value of 1.25 billion euros (US$1.4 billion).

The transaction includes a 100-million-euro capital injection from Pitchwise that will be immediately available for direct investment into the club, said Valencia in a statement on Friday (Oct 23). The deal allows Meriton, the private investment company of Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, to maintain its majority control while bringing in prominent institutional backers, including the family offices of KKR co-founders George Roberts and Henry Kravis, and Penner Sports Group.

The partnership is designed to guide the club through a critical infrastructure transition as it prepares to move into the 70,000-seater Nou Mestalla stadium ahead of Spain co-hosting the 2030 Fifa World Cup.

“There has been no shortage of interest in Valencia; the Pitchwise team was the only partnership I was keen to pursue,” said Valencia president Kiat Lim, who is Peter Lim’s son.

Peter Lim bought a 70.4 per cent stake in Valencia in 2014 through Meriton for 100 million euros. That stake was increased to 91.5 per cent by the end of 2024, Spanish publication AS reported.

Spanish radio network Cadena Cope in February 2025 reported that the elder Lim, in his conversation with Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, acknowledged that Valencia was for sale and the asking price for his majority stake was 400 million euros.

Meriton will remain the majority shareholder of the La Liga club. Kiat Lim will continue in his role as president.

The stake sale and investment comes at a time when Valencia is struggling in La Liga, the top league in Spain. The club – which has won six La Liga titles and seven major European trophies (including the Uefa Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup) – is currently second from bottom in 19th place and at risk of dropping to the second tier.

Pitchwise is led by sports executives Ann Rodriguez and Corey Woolfolk, who will join Kiat Lim in a new ownership group to oversee operations.

“With Ann, Corey, George and Pitchwise Holdings, I am confident that we are entering a new era and we can achieve great things for Valencia,” said the younger Lim.

The 1.25-billion-euro enterprise valuation encompasses all the club’s assets, including the men’s and women’s teams, the current 49,000-seat Mestalla, and the Nou Mestalla development.

Pitchwise consortium

The incoming Pitchwise consortium is built on a foundation of private family offices and institutional capital tailored for “patient, values-driven sports ownership”.

The operational reins will be held by Rodriguez, an executive with “more than 25 years of experience” with major brands such as Atlanta United, the WNBA and the LA28 Olympic committee; and Woolfolk, who merges “a decade-long professional football career in the US with a background in biotech and venture capital”.

They are backed by formidable American financial muscle. KKR’s Roberts said that the Pitchwise investors view this partnership as “the most exciting opportunity in European football”.

The consortium also includes Penner Sports Group, a Denver-based holding company founded in 2022 by Greg and Carrie Penner, whose portfolio includes the NFL’s Denver Broncos and a minority stake in Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies.

The 100 million euros in immediate new capital comes as the club approaches its “most significant milestone in 100 years: the move to Nou Mestalla”.

The new stadium was officially budgeted at 322 million euros and is set to be completed by summer 2027.

Rodriguez and Woolfolk acknowledged that the club – fuelled by an “illustrious history” and “passionate fanbase” – needs a “clear investment strategy and focus” to navigate modern football’s competitive landscape.