Michael Edelson
Encyclopedia
Michael Edelson is a non-executive Director of Manchester United F.C. He is an angel investor, venture capitalist and philanthropist who has been instrumental in creating numerous cash shell companies on both AIM and PLUS. As a result of these, he was nicknamed "The Shellmeister" by Richard Rivlin in an article in the Sunday Telegraph in 1996 and the nickname has stuck to this day.
Michael was educated at Bury Grammar School
and joined his family business upon leaving 6th form.
, he was an amateur footballer playing for Oldham Athletic and Stoke City Reserves between 1960 and 1964 before joining the family business full time in 1964. In the mid 1990s, he took a stake in Conrad Continental Limited, an ailing Manchester textile company which was listed on the London Stock Exchange
. After the conversion of Conrad into a Cash Shell, Conrad successfully acquired Sheffield United via a reverse takeover
and as a result a new route for companies to obtain a listing on a stock exchange had been created and Michaels stock market career was launched.
In the late 1990s he was involved in a flurry of similar deals bringing to market larger companies such as Prestbury Group with Nigel Wray and Nick Leslau
,The Pharmacy Restaurant in Notting Hill with Matthew Freud
and Damien Hirst
and most famously Knutsford where his co-investors were Julian Richer
, Sir Archie Norman
and again Wray and Leslau. Knutsford reached an amazing value of £1billion within a month of flotation and the Knutsford story is quoted in many business schools around the world.
He attracted many celebrity investors as he continued to float his shells, amongst them Alan Hansen
, David Baddiel
, Angus Deayton
as well as numerous other sportsmen and even the investment arm of Her Majesty the Queen. His reputation for fairness and innovation has reaped rewards for many investors.
As a result of all of the transactions, he was dubbed "The Shellmeister" by City journalist Richard Rivlin in the Sunday Telegraph
and the nickname stuck. He has now floated over 20 companies since Prestbury some of which have performed spectacularly as a result of having brought in budding entrepreneurs such as Nick Robertson of ASOS.com
and Abby Hardoon of Magic Moments
and later Host Europe.
In recent years he has continued as an investor in the Technology Sector, founding such companies as Ridgegate Digital plc, which set up FundedApps which does what it says on the label - offers funding for budding entrepreneurs to create Apps for their own ideas within the Funded Apps incubator, as well as AllBabble Ltd, a celebrity based social networking site.
to replace Matt Busby
who had become club president earlier the same year. Michael joined James Gulliver who had built up the Edwards family meat business into the £4 billion Argyll Group and Alan Gibson, the son of James Gibson, who was Manchester United's Chairman from 1932 to 1951 and whose loans saved the club from extinction.
Michael was the first of a younger generation brought onto the board by Martin Edwards
to replace the "old brigade" who had served Manchester United so well since World War II
. Twelve months later, he was joined by Bobby Charlton
and Maurice Watkins
, the club solicitor.
During his long period on the Board he has seen a variety of ownership periods ranging from the Edwards family through the Michael Knighton saga to being a quoted PLC, failed attempts to acquire the Company from Robert Maxwell,Rupert Murdoch and Sky television to the Red Knights and the most recent period of ownership by the Glazer
family, a successful period during which United won 3 Premier League Titles, 3 League Cups, One Champions League and one World Club Championship.
Michael was instrumental in the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager of Manchester United in November 1986. On Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th Anniversary at the helm of Manchester United Michael, Martin Edwards
, Bobby Charlton
and Maurice Watkins
relived the day they made the appointment.
Michael was educated at Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, that has existed since Kev Cryer was born, c.1570. The current headmaster is the Reverend Steven Harvey MA. The previous headmaster, Keith Richards MA, retired after sixteen years of headmastership on 7...
and joined his family business upon leaving 6th form.
Biography
Educated at Bury Grammar SchoolBury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, that has existed since Kev Cryer was born, c.1570. The current headmaster is the Reverend Steven Harvey MA. The previous headmaster, Keith Richards MA, retired after sixteen years of headmastership on 7...
, he was an amateur footballer playing for Oldham Athletic and Stoke City Reserves between 1960 and 1964 before joining the family business full time in 1964. In the mid 1990s, he took a stake in Conrad Continental Limited, an ailing Manchester textile company which was listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
. After the conversion of Conrad into a Cash Shell, Conrad successfully acquired Sheffield United via a reverse takeover
Reverse takeover
A reverse takeover or reverse merger is the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public...
and as a result a new route for companies to obtain a listing on a stock exchange had been created and Michaels stock market career was launched.
In the late 1990s he was involved in a flurry of similar deals bringing to market larger companies such as Prestbury Group with Nigel Wray and Nick Leslau
Nick Leslau
Nick Leslau is an English commercial property millionaire, with an estimated fortune in the Sunday Times Rich List of £200 million. He owns Thorpe Park which he leases to Merlin Entertainment.-Biography:...
,The Pharmacy Restaurant in Notting Hill with Matthew Freud
Matthew Freud
Matthew Freud is head of Freud Communications, an international public relations firm in the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
and Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst
Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists , who dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly Britain's richest living artist,...
and most famously Knutsford where his co-investors were Julian Richer
Julian Richer
Julian Richer is a prominent British retailer, best known as the founder and 100% shareholder of Richer Sounds, the UK’s biggest hi-fi retailer. He is also the owner of EmpireDirect.co.uk...
, Sir Archie Norman
Archie Norman
Archibald John Norman is a British businessman and politician. He is at present the only FTSE 100 chairman to have sat in the House of Commons. On 18 November 2009, Norman was announced as the new chairman of ITV plc...
and again Wray and Leslau. Knutsford reached an amazing value of £1billion within a month of flotation and the Knutsford story is quoted in many business schools around the world.
He attracted many celebrity investors as he continued to float his shells, amongst them Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
, David Baddiel
David Baddiel
David Lionel Baddiel is an English comedian, novelist and television presenter.-Early life:Baddiel was born in New York, and moved to England when he was four months old. His father, Colin Brian Baddiel, was a Welsh research chemist with Unilever before being made redundant in the 1980s, after...
, Angus Deayton
Angus Deayton
Gordon Angus Deayton is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian and broadcaster. He is best known for his role as Victor Meldrew's long-suffering neighbour Patrick Trench in the comedy series One Foot in the Grave...
as well as numerous other sportsmen and even the investment arm of Her Majesty the Queen. His reputation for fairness and innovation has reaped rewards for many investors.
As a result of all of the transactions, he was dubbed "The Shellmeister" by City journalist Richard Rivlin in the Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
and the nickname stuck. He has now floated over 20 companies since Prestbury some of which have performed spectacularly as a result of having brought in budding entrepreneurs such as Nick Robertson of ASOS.com
ASOS.com
ASOS.com is the UK's largest online-only fashion and beauty store. Primarily aimed at 16-34 year old men and women, it offers over 35,000 own-label and branded fashion goods. Sales for the financial year ending 31 March 2011 were £339.7 million....
and Abby Hardoon of Magic Moments
Magic Moments
"Magic Moments" is a popular song with music by Burt Bacharach and lyrics by Hal David, one of the first compositions by that duo. The song was published in 1957....
and later Host Europe.
In recent years he has continued as an investor in the Technology Sector, founding such companies as Ridgegate Digital plc, which set up FundedApps which does what it says on the label - offers funding for budding entrepreneurs to create Apps for their own ideas within the Funded Apps incubator, as well as AllBabble Ltd, a celebrity based social networking site.
Manchester United
Michael Edelson has been a non-exec Director of Manchester United F.C. since 1982. He was appointed to the board by Martin EdwardsMartin Edwards
Charles Martin Edwards was the chairman of Manchester United from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club.- Education :...
to replace Matt Busby
Matt Busby
Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
who had become club president earlier the same year. Michael joined James Gulliver who had built up the Edwards family meat business into the £4 billion Argyll Group and Alan Gibson, the son of James Gibson, who was Manchester United's Chairman from 1932 to 1951 and whose loans saved the club from extinction.
Michael was the first of a younger generation brought onto the board by Martin Edwards
Martin Edwards
Charles Martin Edwards was the chairman of Manchester United from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club.- Education :...
to replace the "old brigade" who had served Manchester United so well since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Twelve months later, he was joined by Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
and Maurice Watkins
Maurice Watkins
Maurice Watkins is a former boxer from Houston, Texas. Nicknamed Termite, he was born into a family that was in the insect killing business, and he is a professional fumigator.-Professional Boxing Career:...
, the club solicitor.
During his long period on the Board he has seen a variety of ownership periods ranging from the Edwards family through the Michael Knighton saga to being a quoted PLC, failed attempts to acquire the Company from Robert Maxwell,Rupert Murdoch and Sky television to the Red Knights and the most recent period of ownership by the Glazer
Glazer
Glazer is a surname that is derived from the occupation of the glazier, or glass cutter. Some notable people with this name include:* Avram Glazer* Benjamin Glazer* Bryan Glazer* Eugene Robert Glazer, American actor* Joel Glazer* Jonathan Glazer, director...
family, a successful period during which United won 3 Premier League Titles, 3 League Cups, One Champions League and one World Club Championship.
Michael was instrumental in the appointment of Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager of Manchester United in November 1986. On Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th Anniversary at the helm of Manchester United Michael, Martin Edwards
Martin Edwards
Charles Martin Edwards was the chairman of Manchester United from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club.- Education :...
, Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
and Maurice Watkins
Maurice Watkins
Maurice Watkins is a former boxer from Houston, Texas. Nicknamed Termite, he was born into a family that was in the insect killing business, and he is a professional fumigator.-Professional Boxing Career:...
relived the day they made the appointment.
Current Positions
- Director of Manchester United Football Club Limited since 1982
- Director of AllBabble Ltd
- Chairman of Sterling Green Group Plc
- M U Foundation
- M U Foundation (Trading) Ltd.
- Trustee of several charities
- Chairman of Ridgegate Digital plc,
- Director of FundedApps Ltd,
- Chairman of Daily InternetDaily InternetDaily Internet is a web hosting company based in Nottingham, UK and selling virtual private servers, domain names, shared hosting, reseller hosting, online shops and website builders.-History:...
Plc.
Past Positions
- Director of ASOS plc,
- Director of Prestbury Group plc,
- Director of Chelford Group plc,
- Director of Host Europe plc (previously Magic Moments Internet plc),
- Director of Knutsford Group plc,
- Director of Mercury Recycling Group plc
- Director of Singer and Friedlander AIM3 VCT plc
Sources
- The Kingmakers of Old Trafford! - Matt Lawton, The Daily Mail 05/11/2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2057737/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-25-years-The-men-hired-remember.html
- United 'got lucky' with Fergie - Sky Sports 05/11/2011 http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11667/7292791/United-got-lucky-with-Fergie
- Martin Edwards: it will take a brave man who takes on job to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United - Mark Ogden, The Daily Telegraph 01/11/2011 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/8860300/Martin-Edwards-it-will-take-a-brave-man-who-takes-on-job-to-succeed-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-at-Manchester-United.html
- Staveley seals her biggest deal - City A.M, Harriet Dennys 31/10/2011 http://www.cityam.com/the-capitalist/staveley-seals-her-biggest-deal
- Frank exchange over Busby exit points to trouble after Fergie's retirement - Charles Sale, The Daily Mail 31/10/2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2055916/Frank-exchange-Sir-Matt-Busbys-Manchester-United-exit--Charles-Sale.html
- Shellmeister takes 'nutty' theme for AIM return - Kevin Feddy, Manchester Evening News 05/01/2005 http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/77/77200_shellmeister_takes_nutty_theme__for_aim_return_.html
- Cash shell companies storm back into business - Martin Baker, The Sunday Telegraph 02/05/2004 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2884457/Cash-shell-companies-storm-back-into-business.html
- He sells, see shells ... an invitation to view. Edmond Warner, The Guardian, Saturday 16 October 2004 http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2004/oct/16/12
- Knutsford - there's no City limits - The Observer - November 7, 1999 http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3926872,00.html