Author Topic: Guochuan Lai (Read 2385163 times)

Droitwich Baggie · « **Reply #9375 on:** July 24, 2023, 12:08:53 PM »

If only he had invested in decent players. The prices the Saudi's are buying players, he would have made money and improved our club. Lack of vision.

NJS · « **Reply #9376 on:** July 24, 2023, 12:30:03 PM »

Quote from: Droitwich Baggie on July 24, 2023, 12:08:53 PM

If only he had invested in decent players. The prices the Saudi's are buying players, he would have made money and improved our club. Lack of vision.

If only he'd invested in fast food joints instead of WBA - preferably in North Korea

gazberg · « **Reply #9377 on:** July 24, 2023, 12:32:16 PM »

Time, money, effort, attention, etc i could go on and on with what Lai could have invested anything of into the club.

gazberg · « **Reply #9378 on:** July 25, 2023, 04:23:27 PM »

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12335717/Crypto-investor-Fred-Chesnais-talks-West-Brom-60m-takeover-owner-Guochuan-Lai-desperate-sell-financially-troubled-Championship-club.html?ito=native_share_article-top

Takeover talks rumour

baggiejohn · « **Reply #9379 on:** July 25, 2023, 04:35:07 PM »

Quote from: gazberg on July 25, 2023, 04:23:27 PM

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12335717/Crypto-investor-Fred-Chesnais-talks-West-Brom-60m-takeover-owner-Guochuan-Lai-desperate-sell-financially-troubled-Championship-club.html?ito=native_share_article-top

Takeover talks rumour

Interesting?

HRK coming back as CEO?

robnewbold · « **Reply #9380 on:** July 25, 2023, 04:37:04 PM »

His net worth looks poor on paper, certainly no billionaire, so may be locked into the same limited (no) spending spiral.
Will he be a better owner than Lai, to be honest Wurzel Gummidge would be a better owner than Lai.

tambag · « **Reply #9381 on:** July 25, 2023, 04:41:17 PM »

Its only the Daily Mail.

Wait until I see more news agencies that are more reliable before I believe it.

Would he better than Lai ? surely couldn't be any worse ?

Dan · « **Reply #9382 on:** July 25, 2023, 04:50:33 PM »

I suspect there's probably at least something to it, its a bit of an out there link to make out of the blue.

While we all want Lai out, its crucial that the next person is competent and has the clubs best intentions at heart. It's quite easy for clubs in ours situation to lurch from one disaster to enough as chancers smell blood. We already saw with the previous guy who was reportedly interested in buying a stake who was extremely sketchy.

I can't claim to know who this guy is, but the crypto industry is rife full of conmen and this guy doesn't seem to be especially wealthy so I would be skeptical. Just reading quickly, it doesn't seem like he has a great deal of credibility, even within the crypto world.

gazberg · « **Reply #9383 on:** July 25, 2023, 04:58:21 PM »

Agree there has to be some kind of talks occurring or he wouldn't be named.

WBA twitter moaning he ain't got no money if true. If he tries a touch he will already be leagues ahead of Lai- money or not.

baggies_24 · « **Reply #9384 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:06:40 PM »

Any naming of interested parties at this point should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. Purchasing a football club will involve NDAâ€™s so any named parties in the press probably arenâ€™t serious buyers & just want to get their name out there. Itâ€™s often not found out until very late in the day if a serious buyer is in for the club.

The good news if true is that Lai is looking to sell.

miggybaggy · « **Reply #9385 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:08:56 PM »

Promising news. Something more concrete appears to be happening at last, and realistic figures are mentioned. We need to escape the Chinese strangle-hold and its complex system of allowing money to leave the country (or not)!

Fingers crossed.

gazberg · « **Reply #9386 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:11:59 PM »

Quote from: baggiejohn on July 25, 2023, 04:35:07 PM

Interesting?

HRK coming back as CEO?

Is HRK associated with him? I have no idea John, i don't follow crypto related news, i don't 'get it'

baggie82 · « **Reply #9387 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:19:33 PM »

Quote from: Dan on July 25, 2023, 04:50:33 PM

I suspect there's probably at least something to it, its a bit of an out there link to make out of the blue.

While we all want Lai out, its crucial that the next person is competent and has the clubs best intentions at heart. It's quite easy for clubs in ours situation to lurch from one disaster to enough as chancers smell blood. We already saw with the previous guy who was reportedly interested in buying a stake who was extremely sketchy.

I can't claim to know who this guy is, but the crypto industry is rife full of conmen and this guy doesn't seem to be especially wealthy so I would be skeptical. Just reading quickly, it doesn't seem like he has a great deal of credibility, even within the crypto world.

Frederic Chesnais is the largest shareholder and CEO of Atari Group. Started his career as a lawyer in the banking sector. He is also the chairman at Crypto Blockchain Industries, which are presently listed on the Paris stock exchange. I would guess his net worth is up to Â£50m unless his has further family wealth that is not apparent. He might be acting on behalf of a consortium or relying on third party funders. He isn't wealthy but there is nothing to suggest that he is dodgy either.

Interesting comment in the Mail story is that Lai has dropped his asking price to Â£65m.

Standaman · « **Reply #9388 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:20:14 PM »

As far as I can make out Chesnais does not have any sort of previous involvement or interest in football. His background is gaming. He now is the majority owner of Crypto Blockchain Industries which has relationships with clubs and market NFT's in something called the AlphaVerse (please don't ask me to explain because I can't)

Is this billionaire sugar daddy that some fans dream of? No. Better than Lai? Possibly .

As others have said it is in the Mail so I am not getting over excited by the prospect.

baggiejohn · « **Reply #9389 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:20:28 PM »

Quote from: gazberg on July 25, 2023, 05:11:59 PM

Is HRK associated with him? I have no idea John, i don't follow crypto related news, i don't 'get it'

HRK is allegedly big into crypto, he understands it well & saw opportunities in his latter days with us.

hardtobeat · « **Reply #9390 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:21:22 PM »

Quote from: tambag on July 25, 2023, 04:41:17 PM

Its only the Daily Mail.

Wait until I see more news agencies that are more reliable before I believe it.

Would he better than Lai ? surely couldn't be any worse ?

It may only be the Mail but it does actually have a journos name attached to it which would suggest it hasn't just been pulled out of thin air !

baggie82 · « **Reply #9391 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:23:17 PM »

Quote from: baggiejohn on July 25, 2023, 05:20:28 PM

HRK is allegedly big into crypto, he understands it well & saw opportunities in his latter days with us.

Correct, he is a long term investor and big advocate of bitcoin (as are many others); but has no relation to Frederic Chesnais.

gazberg · « **Reply #9392 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:25:54 PM »

Quote from: baggiejohn on July 25, 2023, 05:20:28 PM

HRK is allegedly big into crypto, he understands it well & saw opportunities in his latter days with us.

Thanks for that.

I notice it says he is making a cash offer of Â£60m for our club so if he is 'only' worth around 50m himself then he will have others involved.

Topman · « **Reply #9393 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:28:27 PM »

Quote from: gazberg on July 25, 2023, 05:25:54 PM

Thanks for that.

I notice it says he is making a cash offer of Â£60m for our club so if he is 'only' worth around 50m himself then he will have others involved.

I was about to say, the only thing I can find on his is he is worth 17 million, he would have to have others involved etc

baggiejohn · « **Reply #9394 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:31:01 PM »

Quote from: gazberg on July 25, 2023, 05:25:54 PM

Thanks for that.

I notice it says he is making a cash offer of Â£60m for our club so if he is 'only' worth around 50m himself then he will have others involved.

It was intended as a tongue in cheek remark, but "there's many a true word spoken in jest"

Jordie1471 · « **Reply #9395 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:51:41 PM »

Quote from: gazberg on July 25, 2023, 04:58:21 PM

Agree there has to be some kind of talks occurring or he wouldn't be named.

WBA twitter moaning he ain't got no money if true. If he tries a touch he will already be leagues ahead of Lai- money or not.

I have absolutely no interest in a multi billionaire sugar daddy buying us into becoming a mid to lower greed league club personally.

But each to their own.

gazberg · « **Reply #9396 on:** July 25, 2023, 05:53:04 PM »

Quote from: Jordie1471 on July 25, 2023, 05:51:41 PM

I have absolutely no interest in a multi billionaire sugar daddy buying us into becoming a mid to lower greed league club personally.

But each to their own.

Of course, i feel the opposite. Maybe you enjoyed the dark days of League 1 in the 90s but i couldn't stand it.

NJS · « **Reply #9397 on:** July 25, 2023, 06:28:07 PM »

He's into blockchain based business but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's involved in for crypto-currency like bitcoin. Blockchain is often used for recording transactions such as payments systems under the more generic title of distributed ledger applications.

His wikipedia entry says he turned round Atari from disaster before founding his own video games company.
Also
"Since November 2015, he has been a member of the Advisory Board of the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, USA."

Seems ideal for us.

gazberg · « **Reply #9398 on:** July 25, 2023, 06:31:45 PM »

Yep, blockchain is more like a ledger FOR crypto, it's not a currency.

alex1 · « **Reply #9399 on:** July 25, 2023, 06:33:29 PM »

Don't know what to think about this. For a start, I don't know anything about the crypto industry. If its got something to do with gambling, then that says alot about what drives the main players. I'd like to think the guy had some interest in football (even Lai turned up to a few games wearing a scarf). Someone needs to ask the question. Are you prepared to invest in the football club?