bill foley yacht

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley interview: ‘I want this team to play in Europe’

When you spend most of your time writing and talking about bad examples and cautionary tales, you can get a bit… well, negative.

We imagine that British consumer rights expert Martin Lewis finds it hard to believe there are some utility companies that are not trying to fleece everyone, Gordon Ramsay struggles with the idea that anyone else can make a decent beef wellington or Roy Keane will ever accept that today’s players want it as much as he did.

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Good football club owners are our blindspot. We know they exist but they get crowded out by all the rubbish ones creating havoc in plain sight. So, when we do get to meet a good one, we should mark the occasion by getting out of the way and letting them speak for themselves.

And that is what we propose to do with this interview with Bill Foley, the 78-year-old businessman who bought AFC Bournemouth in December, adding the Premier League club to a growing stable of sports teams that includes the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League .

Foley spoke to us from his California home on the morning of game five in the Western Conference semi-final between the Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers, a game his team would win to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Since their launch as the NHL’s 31st team in 2017, the Golden Knights have made the play-offs in five of their six seasons, reaching the Stanley Cup finals in their first campaign. No NHL expansion team has ever been so successful, so quickly.

Bournemouth lost at Crystal Palace on Saturday but their mission — avoid relegation — has already been accomplished, a feat few thought was possible when the newly promoted team got thumped 9-0 by Liverpool in August. That is not an experience Foley intends to go through and he will be setting his team loftier goals than survival in the seasons to come.

Before we let him speak for himself, we should make it clear that when we say he is a “good owner”, we obviously do not know how his ownership of Bournemouth will pan out; British football’s history is packed with owners who made good first impressions only to leave to a chorus of boos, and that could easily be Foley’s fate.

But he has already achieved more than many by not promising too much and actually delivering tangible improvements. He has put his money where his mouth is and has made himself available to fans and the media. And, most of all, he has a plan that has already worked somewhere else.

Bournemouth fans, meet the newish custodian of your club. Golden Knights fans, here is the boss’ latest venture…

The Athletic : We know you have plans to make every game at Bournemouth feel like a real, stand-alone event, and we’re told that is what you have achieved with the Golden Knights. To those who haven’t ticked it off their bucket list yet, what is a Vegas Golden Knights game like?

Foley : Well, Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world and, when we got the team, our business plan was to be competitive with all the shows on the Strip. So, we have a big pre-game in the Plaza and then our Drumbots (the official drumline of the Golden Knights) march in with our cheerleaders and lead the fans into the game. It’s a big show.

And we love doing skits. We have our own production company and we try to do a new skit every month. At the start of the season, I was in one based on the scene in Dumb and Dumber where the killer is sat between them in the truck and they’re playing “it”. So, it was me and (Golden Knights players) William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. We also have a pre-game show where our knight fights the other teams’ mascots. So, we have a pretty big entertainment and video department and we put a lot of money into it.

Look, it will never be that at Bournemouth but we are buying some really big LED screens that we can show videos on and we’re starting every game with “Hey Jude”. We’re doing all kinds of little things. In the NHL, we have rally towels — they’re little towels that might say Golden Knights or have our logo on them. So, we put a “Red Army” rally towel on every seat and, at first, people didn’t really know what to do with them but then some of them got it and started waving them around. We weren’t sure how that would go down but it was OK.

The Athletic : Why “Hey Jude”? Is it just your favourite Beatles song?

Foley : Yeah, I like it but (president of business operations) Jim Frevola came up with the idea. And the fans seem to love it.

The Athletic : And everyone knows the words! But getting back to what you can do at Bournemouth, when you bought the club there were some over here who said “he does know about the stadium, doesn’t he?” You did, of course, but what is the plan?

Foley : Obviously, it is inadequate. It’s too small and we don’t have the right hospitality assets. We have 13 or 14 suites but we need 30, maybe 33. We can sell them — our pre-game meals and bars are packed.

We really have two choices. We still have five years on our lease at the stadium. The South Stand is a temporary stand, so if we wanted to renovate the stadium we could tear that down and put about 5,000 seats down there with a two-tier deck and have it wrap around and join the Main Stand. The trouble is, you would then need to build a second deck there and almost push it over the Main Stand, and we’d still be stuck with the concourses and inadequate hospitality.

So, the best approach is to try to build a new stadium and to do it economically, spend £80-90million ($99.6m-$112.1m), with the right hospitality and about 20,000 seats. We don’t need much more than that but we do need to open up our ticketing to new fans. They’ve been using a points system until now — you get a point for attending a game — but that just means everyone in the stadium looks like me: old, white guys. We want younger people. The tickets aren’t that expensive but to widen our fanbase we need to expand. We’re very intent on accomplishing that mission.

The Athletic : Sounds expensive…

Foley : No, we could get some pre-payments on suites, we could get some PSLs (personal seat licenses, or debentures, as they are known in the UK) in certain areas of the stadium to raise some financing. We’ve actually got a separate group that is interested in being a partner in the stadium. We don’t think the money is going to be the problem; it’s more a matter of timing.

But, in the meantime, the stadium was old and decrepit, so we’ve wrapped it with AFC Bournemouth slogans and logos, and we’ve painted it, inside and out. We’ve now got approval to do a good-sized food and beverage opportunity outside the South Stand. That will enable us to move some of the things that happen in the Main Stand that take up a lot of space and aren’t as profitable as they should be, and then we can use that space for more high-end hospitality. There’s a big demand for that.

We want to get some real pre-game activity going outside and we’re making a lot of progress. I’m proud of the work the guys have been doing, Jim Frevola and his team. He was my chief sponsorship officer at the Golden Knights and then he went to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s running the business side of the operation. He hasn’t gotten rid of people, he’s just brought some new ones in and moved others. They were understaffed before and maybe lacked some experience. Two of our big sponsors — great partners — weren’t paying enough money, so Jim told them “You’re going to have to pay double from next season”, and they have renewed.

The Athletic : It was that easy?

Foley : Their contracts were about to expire and we said we wanted to renew you but it’s not for £700,000, it’s £1.5million, and it’s not for £400,000, it’s £800,000. I don’t want to name them but they are key sponsors.

We have the worldwide rights to AFC Bournemouth. At the Golden Knights, I have an 80-mile radius where I have complete control. In Bournemouth, I have the world. If we have £12-13million in sponsorships today, why don’t we have £80m? Then we’ll have real revenue coming in to reinvest. For me, it’s a pretty easy fix. Obviously, it’s going to take time: we’re not going to go from £13million to £80m overnight, but we can do it. We’ve got an international operation up and running in Vegas and Bournemouth, and Jim has opened a sponsorship office in London — that’s where the companies are.

I’m happy with where we’re going but the reality is we need a new stadium. Our other gating issue is that our current training ground is where the stadium will go. That means we need to get our new training facility built and move our first team, academy and women’s team there. It’s north of Bournemouth (at the former Canford Magna Golf Club). We have the space, we have 57 acres, and we’ve built one pitch. We’re building the indoor pitch right now and we’re just about to start the training facility. It should be ready in the fall of 2024.

That will mean we can move our business operations to where the training facility is now (in Kings Park, next door to the Vitality Stadium) so we can work on our stadium plan and have more room for hospitality at the stadium. Our offices are taking up space that we should be selling. We’ve got a whole plan for expanding our restaurants and bars. We want people to come an hour or two before the game, and stay an hour or two afterwards. But we have to make it easier. And if some of them don’t want to drink a better glass of wine or beer, that’s fine, they can drink a less expensive one. We’re going to give fans options. And we’re seeing the results already. We’re trying to do something every week but the big changes will come over the summer.

The Athletic : There’s a lot going on. Are you worried it could be too much, too soon? British football fans can be quite conservative.

Foley : We’re not afraid of change. We want to make things better. I want this team to play in Europe. Our ultimate goal is not to worry about avoiding relegation but to move way up the table. To do that, we’ve got to improve our team, improve our facilities, our infrastructure. We have to be a place where players want to go, where agents will say this is a place you want to go. Not a stepping stone but a destination.

I know we can do it because I did it with the Golden Knights. We were an expansion team and we had our expansion draft but when we tried to get some free agents, none of them wanted to come. Their agents said, ‘You’re just going to lose, we don’t know about your facilities’ and so on. So we invested quite a bit of money in first-class training facilities and a first-class arena. And we started doing things for players that other teams weren’t doing. We showed them we’d take care of them. Now we’re a destination. If you talk to players, they want to come to Vegas. It’s a competitive advantage. That’s why I went for Bournemouth. I am completely confident we can do it.

The Athletic : The fans are going to love hearing that but, getting back to the stadium, it sounds like you have a lot of freedom to make changes at the Vitality Stadium. It begs the question: why didn’t your predecessor Maxim Demin do it?

Foley : I don’t think he was as focused on the gameday experience as I am. When I go to the games, I try to sign every autograph and stop for every picture. I want the fans to think I’m just another guy. I happen to be fortunate enough to own the team but I’m one of them. The previous ownership focused on bringing players in but not the fans’ experience or making the place a destination. I’m just using the Golden Knights as my playbook, frankly. We built our team here from scratch.

I was talking to Loic Fery (co-owner of French side Lorient, where Foley has a minority stake) today about what we want to do, and he definitely got it. That’s another very good opportunity we have. We have a path to majority ownership and, as of June, we’ll have about 40 per cent of the team. It’s a place where we can put players and buy players. The multi-club model is the second part of the story. If I’m going to acquire players, why don’t I acquire them from myself? It’s a lot less expensive. The only downside is if you have two or three really good teams, only one can play in Europe.

The Athletic : We’re glad you brought that up because we wanted to ask you about what we thought was admirable but slightly unusual honesty in this business, as you have made it clear Bournemouth is the flagship in your multi-club fleet…

Foley : It is.

The Athletic : Most owners of several clubs don’t say that out loud because no European fan wants their team to be a farm team. Do you regret it?

Foley : I’m just being honest. Many players in Ligue 1 want to move to the Premier League, and we want to give them that opportunity. We want Lorient to be very good and if they can play in Europe, we would want them to do that. We don’t want Loic to sell all of his best players. We want him to have the opportunity of reaching Europe. But if a player wants to move on, I don’t want him to move to Liverpool or Arsenal — I want him to move to us.

The Athletic : Quite right, too, but to return to the new stadium, you made it sound very straightforward. Unfortunately, building stadiums rarely goes smoothly in the UK. Are you completely confident you can do this on time and on budget?

Foley : I am. We’ve established the budget, we have our plan. We’re going to three different firms to develop the design, based on our budget. We have to stick to it. I can’t afford to spend £120-150million on something that won’t return value. We’ll have a functional stadium, with the right hospitality assets. That’s where the ticket sales and food and beverage sales are — it’s the piece of the puzzle we need.

We’ve been in touch with the local authorities. The land is available. We’ve got to move a running track, which isn’t that big of a deal. The actual stadium will go where our training pitches are. The only thing that gives me pause is if we could somehow rehabilitate the current stadium by adding 8,500 seats and make it work; it would be easier because I could do it in stages and wouldn’t need to spend so much right away. I’d start with the South Stand next year. I’m just not sure how doable it is. There is a plan but I’m not sure if it will give us the extra suites we need.

The Athletic : Would the current landlords (London-based property group Structadene, who bought the stadium when the club was desperate for money in 2005) give you a reasonable price for it?

Foley : We have an advantage because it can only be a stadium and we only have five years on our lease.

The Athletic : That’s because there is a sporting-use covenant on the land?

Foley : Right. So, the clock is ticking. We know they’ll sell us the stadium at a reasonable price and that price gets more reasonable the longer we wait. If we move out, I guess they could go back to the council and say “We’ll tear it down and build affordable housing”, which is fine but that could take a while, so time is on our side.

But I wrestle with this with Jim and Neil (Blake, the club’s CEO): can we improve the stadium or do we have to build a new one, with all the procedural headaches that might come with that? We built the Dollar Loan Center (home of the Golden Knights’ farm team the Silver Knights and Foley’s Indoor Football League team the Knight Hawks) in Henderson with the cooperation of the city last year and that went smoothly, but it’s tougher everywhere now.

The Athletic : So why risk spoiling a good thing in Las Vegas with English football?

Foley : Because it’s the greatest sport in the world and the Premier League is the best league. I’ve been fooling about with football for three years, looking at opportunities in other leagues. But it’s like when I decided to expand my wine business. I looked at South Africa, Argentina, Chile, France, Spain, Italy, and I settled on New Zealand because you have the rule of law, English speaking, varietals I like, and a stable currency. Football for me came down to the UK and the Premier League. I had opportunities to be a minority owner in a number of other teams but, as you can probably tell, I’m not a good minority owner.

The Athletic : Ha! Well, we are aware of some of those opportunities but, looking from the outside, it looks like you made a good call.

Foley : I’m very happy. I know we can improve the team. We need to be embedded in the community and vice-versa. I know some of the guys on the team don’t like talking to the press but (I say), “The press will write what it’s going to write but, if you talk to them, they’re more likely to tell your story”. I’ve used the same philosophy at the Golden Knights. I’m going to be honest and transparent.

The Athletic : And long may it continue. But on your choice to invest here, English football appears to be very popular in the US. Should we worry that it’s just a flash in the pan and next year something else will be fashionable?

Foley : No, it’s the real deal. Americans love it. We’re developing local fan clubs for Bournemouth. People are getting up early to watch games in bars at 7am on the West Coast. The Premier League is very understandable to Americans. There’s always been a close relationship between the US and the UK. MLS has started to get out of its own way a bit and has gained acceptability in the US. It’s still only the eighth or so best league in the world but the stadiums are filling up and people are more engaged with it. But Americans love the Premier League. It’s the best football in the world. I hope I’m not going to irritate my Italian and Spanish friends, but it just is.

The Athletic : That will certainly help to win us over, Bill. But, as a final thought, do you acknowledge that sometimes, some of your compatriots have come to the Premier League and perhaps behaved as though they know it all, and maybe not listened very much? We hasten to add that Brits have been doing the same for centuries.

Foley : Ha! Well, that can be an American trait and I know quite a few of the other owners and some of them definitely do think they know it all. But there are exceptions.

The Athletic : But, clearly, we do have some things to learn from what you have created at the Golden Knights, right?

Foley : Well, thank you. I’m going to do a little bit of it at Bournemouth but we don’t want to scrap established traditions. We want to make improvements and be a bit different, but I’m very cognisant of the history of Bournemouth and the Premier League. We’re not going to be ugly Americans that come in and change this and change that because we think we know it all. We know we don’t, and we can learn a lot from you.

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Based in North West England, Matt Slater is a senior football news reporter for The Athletic UK. Before that, he spent 16 years with the BBC and then three years as chief sports reporter for the UK/Ireland's main news agency, PA. Follow Matt on Twitter @ mjshrimper

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Bill Gates to sell new £600m green megayacht – before it’s even been delivered

Billionaire’s new cruiser boasts 12 staterooms, two hot tubs and a submerged lounge

Bill Gates had been a rarity among his fellow billionaires by opting against owning a megayacht, instead preferring to rent during summer trips around the Mediterranean.

That all changed in 2020 when the retired 68-year-old commissioned the world’s first hydrogen-powered vessel of its kind, splashing out more than £500m on what became known as Project 821. 

Gates’s interest in a green yacht was first reported by The Telegraph, when rumours swept the highly secretive industry.

Four years and a pandemic later, the vessel is nearly complete. But Gates, who co-founded Microsoft and is the world’s fourth richest man, has put it up for sale via a specialist before it has even been delivered.

Brokers at Edmiston have been tasked with finding a buyer for the yacht, which is still housed at the Feadship yard in the Netherlands.

The asking price is understood to be a cool €675m euros (£579m), with reasons for the sale unclear. 

In decades gone by, finding a buyer for a megayacht of this size may have been easy, as the super-rich have long desired their very own palace at sea . 

However, the sale of Gates’ vessel comes at a rocky time for the yacht industry, which has been in decline ever since Vladimir Putin’s war started in Ukraine two years ago. 

According to analysts at Berenberg, a recent drop-off in sales is “linked to the perception that yachting is significantly exposed to Russian clientele”, such as former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. 

Meanwhile, a reduction in orders could also indicate that even the wealthiest 0.1pc are facing the consequences of economic turmoil. 

Project 821, as it is still known, is 119m long and 19m wide – putting it among the world’s largest pleasure cruisers, such as the 117-metre Koru owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos .

However, unlike other superyachts, Gates’ vessel is unique in that it contains a hydrogen power system, including a heavily insulated cryogenic tank containing 92 cubic metres of liquefied hydrogen at minus 253°C. 

This is used to generate electricity in a bank of 16 compact fuel cells. The only exhaust from this process is water vapour, signalling Gates’ long-standing interest in alternative fuels. 

The software tycoon, who has pledged to give most of his estimated $129bn fortune to good causes via the Gates Foundation, has been a leading advocate of decarbonising the energy system in recent years. 

His green ambitions have led to him backing a series of clean energy start-ups through his multibillion-dollar fund Breakthrough, although Project 821 appeared more of a personal project for Gates, who was divorced from his wife Melinda in 2022.

According to Feadship, the space required for the hydrogen system added four metres to the yacht’s length.

Project 821 is not entirely hydrogen-powered, however, and is unable to make a long sea voyage running on green fuel alone .

Instead, hydrogen power can be used to help the yacht make shorter journeys, for instance leaving and entering harbour, travelling at speeds of up to 10 knots, propelled by two electric thruster units. 

Feadship says that the vessel’s “hotel load” – the electricity for air conditioning, heating, cooking, lighting etc – can be run for a week on hydrogen only. 

For longer journeys, or in the event that supplies of liquid hydrogen are not available, the yacht also has diesel generators with enough power to achieve top speeds of 17 knots. 

These can be run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), described by Feadship as second-generation biofuel – that is, biofuel which is not made from food crops.

Clean energy aside, there is no doubt about the levels of luxury on board the superyacht . 

For whoever can stump the cash, the new owner will be given access to an entire deck of their own, 37m above the waterline. 

This is arranged as an apartment with two bedrooms, twin bathrooms and dressing rooms, a gym, a pantry, two offices each with a fireplace, and a living room. 

Feadship doesn’t specify what type of fuel is burned in the yacht’s fireplaces, but it does go on to say: “The owner accommodation extends beyond a single deck. 

“A unique and completely private vertical corridor extends to the lower deck. This includes both a spacious staircase lined with bookshelves and display nooks and an owners’ elevator. 

“At each deck level, there are inviting private lifestyle destinations to savour such as a coffee corner and games niche on the bridge deck, a library on the main deck, and a private dining room with a sea terrace and adjacent ensuite stateroom on the lower deck. 

“It creates, in essence, a secluded four-level townhouse-by-the-sea within the much larger yacht.”

The yacht also has twelve staterooms for guests, two cabins for members of the owner’s personal staff, accommodation for 44 crew and “a dedicated hospital”.

Guests aboard will no doubt be impressed by the “towering atrium staircase that wraps around a circular elevator” and the 8.2m pool with “contraflow” and two hot tubs, one on the upper sun deck and one in the pool area.

Other features include a spa, swim platform, beach club, library, cinema and a “cosy” underwater “Nemo lounge”.

The yacht has no fewer than 14 retractable balconies.

“The balconies are unnoticeable when closed but slide out at the touch of a button, carrying with them their side railings or walls,” according to Feadship. “When fully deployed, their floors rise to become perfectly level with the interior room.”

The yacht’s partial hydrogen power system is a new departure for the superyacht industry, but hydrogen has already been deployed at scale in the automotive sector. 

More than 20,000 Toyota Mirai fuel cell cars have been sold around the world, which store their hydrogen as a high-pressure gas rather than a cryogenic liquid.

Road vehicles with liquefied hydrogen tanks have also been built. 

These, like most liquefied gas storage systems , gradually lose their fuel to “boil off” when left parked, an issue which will also affect Project 821. 

The process of liquefying the gas is also energy-intensive, meaning hydrogen is not always a low-carbon fuel.

The normal method of manufacturing hydrogen is by making it from natural gas, a process which produces carbon dioxide.

Almost all hydrogen produced today is made using this method, and as such is classed as “grey” hydrogen.

The aspiration is that vessels like Project 821 would be powered by “green” hydrogen, made by using zero-carbon electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. 

Alternatively, if the carbon dioxide is captured and stored during the production of hydrogen from gas, it becomes “blue” hydrogen , almost as eco-friendly, though this is not yet done on a wide scale.

Feadship has plans to develop technology which could produce hydrogen from methanol. 

Tanks for methanol would be much simpler and would store more energy than liquefied hydrogen alternatives.

These bold proposals are exactly what Gates is pushing for in his bid to save the world from a climate disaster, with or without his £579m megayacht.

As he said in an article for The New York Times earlier this year: “Very wealthy individuals should be making changes to their lifestyles to bring their emissions close to zero. 

“If you fly in a private jet, as I do, you can afford the extra cost of sustainable aviation fuel made from low-carbon crops and water.

“Wealthy investors have the capital to take risks, and indeed, should be taking more of them.”

The Gates Foundation was contacted for comment. 

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Members of Maloof family sell ownership stake in Golden Knights

Four Maloof family siblings are selling their stake in the Golden Knights to majority owner Bill Foley, the team announced Thursday.

Four of the Maloof siblings involved in the Golden Knights ownership group have sold their interests in the franchise to majority owner Bill Foley, the team announced Thursday.

George, Gavin, Joe and Phil Maloof will no longer hold ownership stakes in the Knights. Adrienne Maloof, however, will continue to be a limited partner with the franchise. The Maloof family was believed to own around 15 percent of the team .

“We would like to thank the entire Maloof family for their contributions to the Vegas Golden Knights organization during their tenure as minority owners,” Foley said in a statement. “They were helpful in bringing NHL hockey to Las Vegas and had a belief and commitment to our city as a viable major professional sports market. We wish the family continued success.”

The Maloof family was involved with bringing the NHL to Las Vegas since the beginning of the expansion process. They initiated a conversation about hockey coming to the desert with commissioner Gary Bettman in 2013 after selling the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

Bettman suggested the Maloof family meet with Foley.

The Maloof family has been involved in the Las Vegas business community for three decades, beginning with the opening of Fiesta Rancho and then the development of the Palms.

It’s unclear whether the divestment is part of a plan to purchase a different sports entity.

Foley and his ownership group paid a $500 million expansion fee for the Knights to enter the league in 2017. Last month, Forbes valued the franchise at $1.13 billion, a 17 percent increase in value from 2022.

Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.

The Golden Knights have six unrestricted free agents to tend to before the market opens July 1. Here’s a look at where the Knights stand with each of them.

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone missed significant time for the third straight year, suffering a lacerated spleen that cost him the final 26 games of the regular season.

Jonathan Marchessault wants to remain with the Golden Knights, but there are questions to be answered before he becomes a free agent July 1.

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon thought this year’s team was the best he ever assembled. There just wasn’t enough time to build chemistry.

The Golden Knights spoke at City National Arena on Tuesday with their season over, but they still believe they’ll be a contender again next year.

The world-famous entertainment venue is hosting its first made-for-TV event in June, when the NHL draft comes to Las Vegas for the first time.

Nevada sportsbooks lost a record $6.6 million in hockey bets when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in June. They avoided another huge payout this season.

The Golden Knights should do what’s best for the organization when it comes to pending free agent Jonathan Marchessault. That means re-signing him.

Former Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer is 8-0 in Game 7s in the Stanley Cup playoffs after leading the Stars to a 2-1 victory Sunday night.

The Golden Knights’ championship defense ended much sooner than many anticipated. Here are five reasons why their offseason is off to an early start.

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Watch: Bill Foley's grand plans for Bournemouth | Premier League: PL Stories

Bill Foley delivered a Stanley Cup to Vegas Golden Knights within the franchise's first six years. Now owner of Bournemouth and flying in the Premier League, he has bold claims for the Cherries' future.

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Bournemouth owner Bill Foley buys stake in French club Lorient

Lorient (France) (AFP) – American businessman Bill Foley, who recently bought English Premier League club Bournemouth, has purchased a stake in French outfit Lorient, the Ligue 1 side announced on Friday.

Issued on: 13/01/2023 - 13:28 Modified: 13/01/2023 - 13:27

No financial details of the deal were revealed but in an interview with the daily Ouest France, Loic Fery, owner and president of the club since 2009, mentioned a capital increase of 10 million euros ($10.8m).

"The new shareholder will have 40 percent of the capital no later than this summer," said Fery.

The deal was struck with Foley and his partners in the Black Knight Football and Entertainment (BKFE) group, who in December bought 100 percent of Bournemouth's shares.

Foley, 77, also owns the NHL ice-hockey franchise Vegas Golden Knights

Lorient returned to Ligue 1 in 2020 and after struggling for two years have had encouraging results this season under new coach Regis Le Bris and are now sixth.

"We are not going to play the Champions League because we have a new shareholder," said Fery. "But the reinforcement of our capital and our shareholder base will enable us to build on the good results."

An Air Force veteran, Foley made his fortune in finance and through investments in wine, hotels and sports.

He was one of the investors brought together to help John Textor buy French club Lyon, but his share of the financing was refused by the banks.

According to several British media outlets Foley's stake in the Brittany club is the first step in a long term takeover.

However Fery insisted he wants to remain the main shareholder until 2026, the club's centenary year.

"It's not a withdrawal on my part, but a strategy to strengthen the capital of the club," he said, insisting Lorient were not going to become "a subsidiary club of Bournemouth".

"We will obviously have synergies to develop, particularly around training, marketing and perhaps also gateways allowing some of our players to join the Premier League if everyone agrees on the plan," he said.

This will not necessarily reassure the fans, who fear seeing the Brittany club lose its identity.

But London-based Fery recalled there had been the same fear when he arrived.

"The link with the people of Lorient and the family spirit of the 'Hakes' remain inscribed in stone," he added.

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Bill Foley: Championing Sports, Business, and Community

Few names cover the world of professional hockey, professional soccer, financial services, and philanthropy and resonate as profoundly as that of William "Bill" P. Foley II. A man of remarkable vision, resilience, and compassion, Foley's journey from West Point cadet to the pinnacle of business success is a testament to the transformative power of leadership and the enduring impact of service to others. We are thrilled to induct William “Bill” P. Foley II into the Nevada Business Hall of Fame for these accomplishments and more.

Foley's journey begins at the esteemed United States Military Academy at West Point, where he cultivated the values of duty, honor, and country that would define his life's work. After graduating with a degree in engineering, Foley embarked on a distinguished military career, rising to the rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force. His exemplary service and unwavering commitment to excellence earned him the prestigious Distinguished Graduate Award from West Point — a testament to his character, leadership, and enduring legacy.

Following West Point, Foley would later pursue and graduate with an M.B.A. from Seattle University and a J.D. from the University of Washington. In 1984, he founded Fidelity National Financial, the nation’s largest title insurance company, through its title underwriters Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, and Ticor Title. The company has repeatedly been named to Fortune’s list of America’s Most Admired Companies, Forbes’ list of America’s Best Big Companies and selected for Barron’s list of Best Companies for Investors. He also currently serves as chairman of Cannae Holdings and vice chairman of Fidelity National Information Services, number 301 on the Fortune 500 roster, and a global provider of core processing for financial institutions.

Driven by a passion for sports and a spirit of innovation, Foley embarked on a journey to reshape the hockey landscape, founding the Vegas Golden Knights (VGK)–a historic milestone in Las Vegas' history. Under Foley's visionary leadership, the Golden Knights soared to unprecedented heights, rewriting the record books in their inaugural season and capturing the Stanley Cup in 2023. Foley is also the owner of the Henderson Silver Knights, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights. Beyond their on-ice success, the Golden Knights emerged as a beacon of community spirit, fostering a hockey renaissance in Nevada and inspiring countless individuals of all ages and backgrounds to embrace the sport. VGK President Kerry Bulbolz said, “Bill was the catalyst. He took the risk to bring major professional sports to Las Vegas, and look where we are today, hosting the Super Bowl, Formula 1, and all the great sporting events in the future.”

In recent years, Foley has expanded from hockey to football and soccer. In 2021, he purchased an expansion team, the Vegas Knight Hawks, in the Indoor Football League. He is also owner of Black Knight Football Club, which owns AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League and has a significant investment in FC Lorient of France’s Ligue 1. Most recently, he was awarded a license for a new A-Leagues expansion football club, part of the Australian Professional League, and purchased a significant minority share in the Scottish football club Hibernian FC.

In addition to his groundbreaking ventures in finances, technology, and sports, Foley has a deep-seated commitment to philanthropy and giving back. Through initiatives like the Folded Flag Foundation and the Foley Family Charitable Foundation, he has provided critical support to military families, educational programs, and community initiatives, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and generosity. Through the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, he has forged deep connections with the community, leveraging the Vegas Golden Knight's platform to support charitable initiatives that enrich lives and uplift communities. Whether through scholarships for Gold Star Families or donations to local charities, Foley's commitment to giving back has touched the lives of countless individuals and families, leaving an indelible mark on the Las Vegas community. Lee Business School is honored to have him as an inductee of the 2024 Nevada Business Hall of Fame.

Auckland A-League team: American Bill Foley awarded full licence for expansion club from 2024/25 season

Will Toogood

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The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have announced the award of a full A-Leagues licence to American billionaire Bill Foley. The full licence award confirms entry to the A-Leagues for the 2024-25 season, with the men’s team due to join for season 2024-25 and the women’s team in 2025-26.

Foley is the founder and general partner of Black Knight Football Club , which owns AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League and has a significant investment in FC Lorient of France’s Ligue 1. He is also founder and owner of the US National Hockey League’s 2023 Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights.

Foley said it was an honour to bring a top football club to Auckland.

“Building a championship team from expansion has been my most exhilarating professional achievement, and I aim to do the same for the fans of New Zealand and particularly the community on the North Island. It’s a special place and an area that I know will embrace this team.”

APL chair Stephen Conroy highlighted Foley’s track record and relationship with New Zealand.

“We are delighted to welcome Bill and his team to the A-Leagues and look forward to seeing the club in action next year.”

Chief executive of New Zealand Football, Andrew Pragnell, said the announcement of expansion of the A-Leagues into Auckland makes the leagues truly Australasian.

“A step change moment in the development of football in New Zealand. This is an exciting day and we welcome Bill Foley to the wider football system in this country. Bill has seen the potential of Auckland as a football city and is here for the long haul to help grow and develop the sport,” Pragnell said.

“The relationship between New Zealand Football and Football Australia has never been stronger and it has been great to see the benefits of co-hosting the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 spread far and wide. This expansion has been in part made possible by these positive transtasman football relations and we look forward to this continuing over the coming years. We are truly stronger together and the region as a whole benefits from football development when we are aligned.”

Football Australia and New Zealand Football will now seek final approval from the Oceania Football Confederation, the Asian Football Confederation and Fifa.

A-Leagues commissioner Nick Garcia joined representatives from Football Australia and New Zealand Football in Auckland to formally award the licence to Bill Foley in Auckland.

Foley also confirmed the appointment of New Zealander Nick Becker, former Premier League and A-Leagues executive, as chief executive officer of the new club, which is as yet un-named.

Throughout the years, Foley has invested in New Zealand and owns multiple businesses here, including Foley Wines Ltd, which consists of five wineries, a restaurant group with venues in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown, including the iconic Soul bar in Auckland, as well as luxury lodge Wharekauhau on the South Wairarapa coast.

As far as sporting ventures go, Foley is no stranger to parting ways with vast sums of money in order secure expansion rights or ownership.

Most famously, in 2016, Foley and his consortium Black Knight Sports & Entertainment group paid a reported expansion fee of $828 million for the National Hockey League’s (NHL) latest team, the Vegas Golden Knights.

In six seasons in the NHL, the Knights have had remarkable success. They were the fastest expansion team to win a Stanley Cup, doing so in 2022, and have made the playoffs five times in their six seasons. Foley’s companies also own a number of second-tier sports franchises in the United States.

If owning a successful franchise in one of America’s four premier sports doesn’t convince football fans Foley has what it takes to steer Auckland into professional football, perhaps his ownership of an English Premier League club will abate any fears.

In 2022, Foley and a group of investors purchased AFC Bournemouth from owner Maxim Demin. Reports indicate $248m was paid for the team through another company, Black Knight Football and Entertainment (BKFE).

Further, Foley and BKFE subsequently purchased a 33 per cent stake in French Ligue One team FC Lorient. Foley’s companies have also been linked to clubs in Belgium and Brazil. Like other multi-club owners, Foley will look to use vertical integration to take a pyramid approach, with Bournemouth at the top. In a short time, he has become a popular figure at the Cherries due to his willingness to invest in players.

Auckland football fans will be hoping following the announcement of Foley as the owner of the city’s first fully professional club since 2007, he’ll put into practice the same philosophy and expectation for success that he has in his other ventures.

Will Toogood is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald . He has previously worked for Newstalk ZB’s digital team and at Waiheke’s Gulf News , covering sports and events.

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The Bull's Eye

In his glory days: bill foley.

Catherine Zhang , Asst. Feature Editor November 18, 2015

Although photography currently means the world to Diamond Bar High School teacher Bill Foley, he had a vastly different interest as a teenager: running.

Despite being fascinated with running since first grade, Foley didn’t become involved competitively until his middle school gym teacher made him and his friends run fifteen laps around the gym as a punishment. His teacher noticed how well Foley was running compared to the other students and advised him to try out for his school’s cross country team.

“That changed my life because I had success immediately and it was the first time in my life I felt confident in something. My whole experience was like a dream,” Foley said.

The athlete continued to run track and cross country throughout his middle school and high school years in Indiana.

Foley eventually served as the captain of both sports his senior year and set multiple school records, including the 880 yard run, one mile run, and two mile run in 1973 at New Albany High School in Indiana.

In addition, being a part of his many running teams created fond memories for Foley, such as his four by 400 meter relay in the sectional championships in Indiana during his junior year of high school. In order to win the sectionals, Foley’s team had to win the relay. He served as the anchor and was able to bypass the two runners in the lead at the last second, causing his team to win the sectionals.

“I remember the athletic director picked me up and carried me around the football field, congratulating me and my team. It was a team effort and my teammates all ran very well, but I just happened to be the person that was last,” Foley said.

After high school, Foley attended Indiana University where he ran track and cross country with a scholarship and traveled to various universities to compete.

“That was the beginning of me moving away from home, I had not done much before that and [traveling] just opened up a whole new world for me.” Foley said.

However during his college career, Foley suffered injuries to his legs and knees due to his persistent running. Although it hindered him physically, he claims it affected him more mentally and emotionally because he was “addicted” to the continuous aerobic exercise, and taking a break from the running was difficult.

After graduating from Indiana University, he attended Louisiana Tech University to earn a master’s degree. During that time, he served as the assistant coach for track at the school for two years.

“[Running] gave me more confidence in myself, that I could do something well. It exposed me to so many different cultures and styles of life. It made me see that there was a whole new world out there that I wanted to be a part of,” Foley said.

Although Foley isn’t able to participate in running anymore due to the injuries from his running career, he enjoys taking pictures of athletic events such as the track and cross country competitions.

“I get excited like I used to back in those days when I was a runner. It makes me feel good to see people participating in and enjoying my favorite sport. Running isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s great for those who love it as it’s a good way to get rid of frustrations.” Foley said.

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Proprietor Bill Foley acquired the iconic Chalk Hill Estate in 2010. Bill and his wife Carol’s passion and love of Burgundian varietals made Chalk Hill an intriguing venture. In addition to his role as vintner, Bill Foley is the Chairman, CEO and Governor of the National Hockey League’s 31st franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights.

Foley is also the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Financial Inc. ( NYSE: FNF ), and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. ( NYSE: FIS ).

Foley devotes time to many educational and community organizations, serving on boards including the University of Washington School of Law the Florida Forum Advisory Board for Wolfson Children’s Hospital Women’s Board, and as a Trustee on the Boards of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. He also serves Chapman University School of Law both as a member of the Dean’s Council and as an Endowed Chair of the William Foley Chair in Corporate Law & Taxation. In 1997, Foley was chosen as Orange County, California’s Business Person of The Year, honored with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation’s Semper Fidelis award and inducted into the Florida Council of Economic Education’s First Coast Business Hall of Fame in 2006.

Foley received his B.S. degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He received an M.B.A. degree from Seattle University and earned his J.D. degree in 1974 from The University of Washington School of Law. He served in the U.S. Air Force, where he attained the rank of Captain.

Today, Bill and Carol live in Northern California part-time and are active philanthropists for many causes, especially those in support of veterans and children’s education.

World's first hydrogen superyacht linked to Bill Gates hits high seas

• This 'mothership' superyacht must store its hydrogen fuel at -423.4 Fahrenheit
• Gates is reportedly selling a 224-ft 'shadow vessel' that pairs with the superyacht
• READ MORE:  Hydrogen-powered plane takes to the skies over UK for first time

The world's first hydrogen gas fuel-cell superyacht, long rumored to have been commissioned by billionaire Microsoft founder  Bill Gates , is now officially for sale.

Dubbed Project 821, the 390-foot (119-meter) superyacht is designed to run on 'green' hydrogen — although to be stored as a liquid, the gas must be cryogenically stored at -423.4 degrees Fahrenheit in painstakingly designed, double-walled tanks.

Dutch  shipbuilder Feadship said the launch of this approximately $646 million vessel on May 4th at their Amsterdam shipyard sees the yachting world 'forever changed.'

The ostensibly ecologically friendly superyacht has taken over five years to construct from design to completion, with custom additions for the final buyer yet to be made.

While a spate of news reports in 2020 leaked that Feadship and design firm Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design had been commissioned by the billionaire to construct this hydrogen-powered eco-yacht, details verifying the Gates deal remained elusive. 

As one yacht industry trade publication knowingly put it at the time, 'While Sinot has denied Gates is building the concept, it is understood that Gates is in talks to build a new superyacht with an unknown yard.'  

That trade publication, BOAT International , published a statement from Sinot denying any official agreement with Gates for the luxury boat project.

Responding to reports in the Guardian and the Sunday Telegraph, Sinot said, 'Various articles have appeared in international media stating that Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design sold its concept Aqua to Mr. Bill Gates.' 

'These articles are factually incorrect.'

Feadship, however, only declined to comment entirely, telling MegaYacht News that it 'does not comment on its order book.'

And this month, news broke on financial news site Benzinga that Gates intended to sell his ownership of an unknown superyacht as well as his $25 million yacht, the Wayfinder: a 224-foot catamaran-style boat built by famed shipbuilder Astilleros Armon. 

The Wayfinder, according to Benzinga , was 'designed as a shadow vessel, typically accompanying a larger mothership, which until recently, was not disclosed.'

The site, which covers stock market trades and other business news, indicated that this mothership was, in fact, Feadship's new hydrogen superyacht, Project 821. 

Unlike traditional yachts that rely on diesel engines or other fossil fuel-based means of propulsion, hydrogen fuel-cell yachts use hydrogen as their primary fuel source. 

Hydrogen gas (H2) reacts with oxygen (O2) gas in the fuel cell, producing nothing but pure electricity and pure water: H2O. 

'The aim has been to develop a new, clean technology not just for this project, but for the world,' Jan-Bart Verkuyl, Feadship's director and CEO, said.

The company added that the size of the yacht made it a good candidate for exploring the feasibility of a pure green hydrogen-powered fuel-cell system.

The ship's liquid hydrogen fuel requires approximately 8-10 times more storage space than traditional diesel fuel for an equivalent amount of energy, Feadship said.

All that fuel tank space, alongside the 16 fuel-cell energy converters themselves, plus the needed switchboard connection for the DC electrical grid, and a set of water-vapor emission vent stacks, added 13 feet to the ship's original specs.

'For those captivated by cutting-edge innovations,' Feadship said in a statement, 'this yacht presents an opportunity for potential acquisition as it showcases the pinnacle of modern technological advancements.'

The company pitched the high-priced luxury vessel as an investment in the sustainably technology's future, like a glamorous R&D project. 

'Investing in the required technology is necessary to make the transition away from fossil fuel,' Feadship said, 'and hydrogen is one of the most efficient and cleanest options.'

But, environmentally conscious amenities aside, Project 821 does also serve its elite market of wealthy seafarers with a variety of 'superyacht' prerequisites.

The ship has five decks above the waterline and two below sea level. 

It has 14 balconies, seven fold-out platforms, a pool, a Jacuzzi, a steam room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a home gym, pantry, and two offices each with a fireplace.

The ship also comes with space for its owner to stock a full library.

According to Feadship, the boat's power and food stores allow for an 'entire week’s worth of silent operation at anchor or [briefly] navigating emission-free at 10 knots while leaving harbors or cruising in protected marine zones.'

'It creates, in essence, a secluded four-level townhouse-by-the sea,' the firm boasted in their press release, 'within the much larger yacht.'

British RWD Studio, rather than Sinot, was reportedly responsible for crafting Project 821 ship-exterior and interior décor, deploying marble, rattan, taupe eucalyptus and limed oak to create, in Feadship's words, 'a luxe coastal vibe.'

When pressed for comment this year, a Feadship spokesperson reiterated that it would not be disclosing who had originally commissioned the eco-superyacht, nor who would ultimately buy the ship. 

'Feadship does not share any information about owners and prices,' the firm said, 'whether it is a 19-meter yacht from the 1960s or a 119-meter yacht from the 21st century.'

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Vegas Golden Knights Owner Bill Foley Celebrates His Haute Living Cover With A Hockey-Themed Birthday Cake In Sin City

Photo Credit: Cerious Productions

Jonathan Schultz and One Steakhouse generously partnered on the exclusive event. 

Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley celebrated his recent Haute Living Las Vegas cover with an intimate, very special evening on Monday night attended by his nearest and dearest.

At the event, held at the Morton brothers’ One Steakhouse at Virgin Hotel Las Vegas, he was presented by a unique piece of artwork courtesy of South African artist Jonathan Schultz, whose work is inspired by precious metals and diamonds, two of the country’s most valued natural resources.

Foley, who turned 77 today, was presented with a Vegas Golden Knights themed cake with his age emblazoned on the back, presented by  Executive Chef Patrick Munster  and created by Rock Sugar.

However, Foley decided not to dig into the cake, deeming it bad luck — saying he would dig in should his NHL team make the Stanley Cup finals as they did in their first year of existence.

Regardless of whether or not he chose to let himself eat cake, there were plenty of delicacies to choose from, including a shellfish platter, Alaskan halibut, king crab pasta and filet mignon, with carrot cake, creme brulee and more for dessert.

Foley also served up his wines, from his vast portfolio including Chalk Hill, Foley Family Estates, Banshee and more.

Attendees at the intimate dinner included his wife, Carol , Vegas Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz and his wife , Melissa,  Foley Entertainment Group co-CEO  Randy Morton   and wife  Susan Morton, Peter  Sadowski, David Comite,   Wynn CFO Holli Spangler, One Steakhouse owners Michael and David Morton and Haute Media Group Editor-in-Chief Laura Schreffler and Senior Vice President April Donelson. 

Foley generously gave several speeches throughout the evening, thanking the magazine and speaking about his love of wine, travel and New Zealand.

In addition to his portfolio of wines and the Golden Knights, Foley also owns Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, Wharekauhau in New Zealand, Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg, Calif. and Whitefish Mountain in Montana, among others.

He also owns the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League, the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League, two community hockey facilities, the 6,000 seat Dollar Loan Center venue in Henderson, NV scheduled to open in the spring of 2022, and also operates the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation.

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Gagarin Cup Preview: Atlant vs. Salavat Yulaev

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Gagarin cup (khl) finals:  atlant moscow oblast vs. salavat yulaev ufa.

Much like the Elitserien Finals, we have a bit of an offense vs. defense match-up in this league Final.  While Ufa let their star top line of Alexander Radulov, Patrick Thoresen and Igor Grigorenko loose on the KHL's Western Conference, Mytischi played a more conservative style, relying on veterans such as former NHLers Jan Bulis, Oleg Petrov, and Jaroslav Obsut.  Just reaching the Finals is a testament to Atlant's disciplined style of play, as they had to knock off much more high profile teams from Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg to do so.  But while they did finish 8th in the league in points, they haven't seen the likes of Ufa, who finished 2nd. 

This series will be a challenge for the underdog, because unlike some of the other KHL teams, Ufa's top players are generally younger and in their prime.  Only Proshkin amongst regular blueliners is over 30, with the work being shared by Kirill Koltsov (28), Andrei Kuteikin (26), Miroslav Blatak (28), Maxim Kondratiev (28) and Dmitri Kalinin (30).  Oleg Tverdovsky hasn't played a lot in the playoffs to date.  Up front, while led by a fairly young top line (24-27), Ufa does have a lot of veterans in support roles:  Vyacheslav Kozlov , Viktor Kozlov , Vladimir Antipov, Sergei Zinovyev and Petr Schastlivy are all over 30.  In fact, the names of all their forwards are familiar to international and NHL fans:  Robert Nilsson , Alexander Svitov, Oleg Saprykin and Jakub Klepis round out the group, all former NHL players.

For Atlant, their veteran roster, with only one of their top six D under the age of 30 (and no top forwards under 30, either), this might be their one shot at a championship.  The team has never won either a Russian Superleague title or the Gagarin Cup, and for players like former NHLer Oleg Petrov, this is probably the last shot at the KHL's top prize.  The team got three extra days rest by winning their Conference Final in six games, and they probably needed to use it.  Atlant does have younger regulars on their roster, but they generally only play a few shifts per game, if that. 

The low event style of game for Atlant probably suits them well, but I don't know how they can manage to keep up against Ufa's speed, skill, and depth.  There is no advantage to be seen in goal, with Erik Ersberg and Konstantin Barulin posting almost identical numbers, and even in terms of recent playoff experience Ufa has them beat.  Luckily for Atlant, Ufa isn't that far away from the Moscow region, so travel shouldn't play a major role. 

I'm predicting that Ufa, winners of the last Superleague title back in 2008, will become the second team to win the Gagarin Cup, and will prevail in five games.  They have a seriously well built team that would honestly compete in the NHL.  They represent the potential of the league, while Atlant represents closer to the reality, as a team full of players who played themselves out of the NHL. 

• Atlant @ Ufa, Friday Apr 8 (3:00 PM CET/10:00 PM EST)
• Atlant @ Ufa, Sunday Apr 10 (1:00 PM CET/8:00 AM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Tuesday Apr 12 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Thursday Apr 14 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)

Games 5-7 are as yet unscheduled, but every second day is the KHL standard, so expect Game 5 to be on Saturday, like an early start. 

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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