Lomtadze
Just listened to a fascinating podcast featuring our new owner which appears on the Wycombe Wanderers Friends page on Facebook. I have no idea how to post the link and at 50 minutes it’s a long listen so I will try to précis the most important points:
* His command of English is perfect, fast talking and fluent and if it wasn’t for the slightest of accents you would never guess that it wasn’t his native language.
* He comes from a humble family background in Georgia where his parents and other relatives still live. His parents were poor but preferred to spend money on giving him a good education than putting food on the table.
* He was turned down by Harvard Business School at the first attempt to enrol but persevered and was eventually accepted.
* His company Kaspi was a bank when they first employed him straight from Harvard but he has turned it into one of the most successful technology companies in the world.
* He is clearly very driven and is constantly setting new targets to improve whatever business in which he is involved.
* He believes passionately in customer service and in talking to people to find out what they want.
* Football is his favourite sport and he is determined to launch a world class academy in the UK (I don’t know if the interview was recorded before or after he bought WWFC) to help young players in Kazakhstan and further afield.
He came across as a very intelligent, positive and articulate guy who won’t take no for an answer once he has set his sights on the next target. Early days for us, of course, but his enthusiasm was infectious.
Comments
Thanks for that Alan. Will listen in 👋later.
I still get the feeling that we are an experiment for him. Can he turn a small sports team into something more powerful and effective with data rather than cash (or cash alone)? This is not a criticism as it has the potential to be a great adventure.
It also has the potential to be another Reading. No one knows. Let’s hope it works out well.
Think it’s this @glasshalffull ?
https://fintechleaders.substack.com/p/mikhail-lomtadze-kaspikz-ceo-building?utm_source=publication-search
I thought it was a fascinating interview with football being touched upon towards end of June 18, 45 minute interview on YouTube
Comes across as a highly driven and likeable chap.
He must be enthused about the fabulous Georgian team and thinking about getting Kazakhstan into the Euros.
Yes, that’s it-thanks for providing the link.
Likeable because he's got 5 billion in the bank. That amount of money takes the rough edges off most people.
The 'my parents had nothing' backstory is both heartwarming and yawn inducing at the same time. Every single obscenely wealthy person in Central and East Asia tends to come from a humble background because capitalism (aka a chance for a few people to make a shitload of money) came quite late to the region. Still, he did it. And here we are.
Fair play to the guy that he's been honest from the start that this is about Kazakhstan youth development and we are only part of the dream as an English club going cheap. Maybe we're going to be the summer camp for FC Astana's youth team, or maybe we're the first club in some new global network like Man City and their Abu Dhabi owners. Could take some time to find out.
I assume 'customer focus' means they'll install those 'happy face, sad face' traffic light coloured screens that you get at airports and fans can give an instant reaction to what they've just watched. Customer focus and a businessman not afraid to make hard decisions means Bloomfield better not lose three on the trot.
At least it's not going to be boring.
A definite winner.
Does he want a job as a PM?
If you think billions in the bank makes people likeable, you might want to read up on a few of the sports owners over here!
LA Clippers owner (a while back now): Forced to sell, basically for being racist.
Carolina Panthers owner: Threw his drink out of the executive box at an opposing fan because he was being heckled. Has said in the past that when he gets bad service at a restaurant, he likes to fantasize about buying the restaurant just to fire the waiter/waitress in question.
Washington Commanders owner: A litany of obnoxious, arrogant and incompetent activity. The club were investigated as a result of some of the complaints.
Arizona Coyotes owner: Almost universally despised by his own fans and the business people in the AZ area for incompetence and arrogant attitude, so much so that the NHL found a way to wrest control of the club away and send it to Utah, while the city basically blocked an auction that would have given him a chance to build an arena and resurrect the franchise.
Oakland/Sacramento Athletics owner: Trust fund baby who ran the franchise into the ground and is now trying to get to Las Vegas in the most incompetent way possible.
Most other owners: Hold their cities to ransom for new stadiums/upgrades with public money, with the threat to relocate as a trump card, which many of them have played with absolute disdain for their fans.
Americans are never likeable
Well at least we aren't over-generalizing 350-odd million people, including posters on this forum and their relatives!
That Mr Trump seems a decent sort of a chap.
I was messing about but this place tends to be an irony free zone.
I thought my response was both playful and gently ironic itself! I know you really sleep under a stars and stripes blanket under a poster of a bald eagle.
I'm a jaded international playboy.
I found a jaded international Playboy in the underpass near the sports centre once.
I bet all those guys have lots of friends though.
There’s plenty of life in the old dog yet, woof woof.
So you have met all 650 million of them, have you? I assume you’re including the Couhigs in your sweeping generalisation.
Slip of the finger, I meant 350 million and I was, of course, being ironic!
Just the women. No time for men being a Jaded International Playboy and all that.
Okay, so now the summer '25 vote is going to be likeable Americans.
Can't wait to see who wins the final between Jeff Goldblum and that cheerful lady in downtown Phoenix who twirls the tax company sign.
Can I put in an early vote for Mariah Carey?
I'll take that as a nomination for the initial bracket. I never realized she was so likeable, but she does have a beaming smile, so I should have guessed.
Put me down for Scarlett Johansson please !!
I am sensing a trend, but can't quite put my finger on the common factor!
Women I've 'done it' with.
Did any of them look like this?
Yes