African telecoms magnate, Strive Masiyiwa says he will not buy the best sports teams in the world even for $10 because he does not believe in investing in businesses he knows nothing about.
The London-based Zimbabwean billionaire and Founder of Econet Global stated this in a Facebook post on Friday while reacting to reports of his purported plan to buy South African football team, SuperSport United.
Masiyiwa, whose networth is rated at $1.8 billion by Forbes, said he had never heard of SuperSport United and knew nothing about football business, and as such could not invest his money in it.
He wrote, “Over the last few weeks there has apparently been a lot of social media chatter started by an article by a South African journalist, claiming that I have made a bid to buy a South African sports team called SuperSport United.
“With all due respects to the club and its fans, I had actually never heard of them. I’m sure they must be a great club but this is not my business. I don’t go round trying to buy sports teams. Even if you offered me the best sports team for $10, I would still not buy it because I don’t believe in buying businesses one knows nothing about. Sports is a serious business just like telecoms or mining or fashion; only I’m not into the business of sport. And anyone who has been on this platform knows that.
“What surprised and saddened me however, was that a self-respecting “journalist” [I won’t mention the name] would imagine a story and simply proceed to write about it as though it were real. He did not check it out or speak to anyone in my organisation. Why let something like facts and truth get in the way of a fake story?
“That is just so scary and a complete disgrace to this very important profession of journalism.
“Let’s be serious now.”