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Lynn Farah

When he was 16, Pakistani-born billionaire Shahid Khan went to the US with only US$500 in his pocket. He got a job as a dishwasher on his second day in the country and began dreaming the American dream.
That was in 1967. Now 74, the tycoon has created a sporting empire, buying the Jacksonville Jaguars and English football club Fulham. He has also been a sleeping partner in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), the organisation led by his son, Tony.

Shahid is married to Ann Carlson Khan, whom he met at university. They have two children, daughter Shanna and son Tony. Shahid and Tony have a close relationship and Tony has told of how his father has supported his dreams and given him the space to learn from him.
Here’s what you need to know about the Khans.
(Almost) rags to riches

Shahid’s life story, from hopeful immigrant to one of the richest men in the US, has led him to be called the “face of the American dream”, according to Forbes. Khan, born into a middle-class family in Lahore, left Pakistan for the US at 16 to go to the University of Illinois to study mechanical engineering. He landed during a blizzard and saw snow for the first time. His shoes were falling apart and he was worried about money, so the next day he took a dishwashing job, thinking he had hit the big time.
Per TheSportster, he began working in the auto-parts industry after university. In 1980, he bought the Flex-N-Gate company from a former employer. With his engineering training, Shahid designed a one-piece truck bumper that made him millions of dollars. His company now has 76 plants around the world and more than 27,000 employees.


Per Forbes, his estimated net worth is US$13.1 billion. He has invested in the sports industry, buying American football team the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012 and English football club Fulham in 2013. His other business interests include ownership of the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto and a new Four Seasons property in Jacksonville, Florida, expected to open next year.
All Elite Wrestling

In 2019, Tony, with the financial backing of his father, launched All Elite Wrestling, a competitor to the WWE franchise. According to The New York Times, Tony has been a wrestling fan since he was a child and told the publication: “By the time I was nine years old I had watched hundreds and hundreds of wrestling shows.” As a teen he got into e-wrestling, which gave him the chance to come up with story ideas for fantasy wrestling shows. Today, as the founder and co-owner of AEW, he promotes, produces and books talent for each show.
A special AEW appearance


Shahid and Tony made headlines last April when Tony was “attacked” during an episode of professional wrestling show AEW Dynamite. Wrestlers The Young Bucks, Jack Perry and Okada launched a surprise “assault” on their boss, which saw his father, who has largely remained a sleeping partner in the wrestling world, enter the ring, “concerned” for his son.
In an interview with the Bleacher Report, Tony said his father thought the storyline was “fantastic”. “He knew it was going to get attention,” Tony said. “He knows AEW is a big deal, and he follows the show and the product. He’s not a hardcore wrestling fan, but he watches AEW.”
Shahid’s support

Going up against the WWE empire is no small feat, but, per TheSportster, Shahid believed in his son’s dream, committing US$100 million to ensure Tony would be able to attract top talent, thus laying the foundations of AEW.
Their relationship

The father-and-son pair have built a relationship based on respect. Per The New York Times, Tony has spoken about his father’s caring nature, saying that he cares about the people he works with. “He’s very loyal and very honest and hardworking. I tried to be like him, and it’s been very beneficial to me because my dad is such an amazing role model,” he said.
Their business relationship dates back to Tony’s being appointed the chief football strategy officer for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tony has explained that he purposely worked closely with his father to understand the “mechanics of certain processes or situations in business”.


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The Pakistani-born tycoon went to the US to study engineering, designed a truck bumper that made him rich, and now owns a football club and an American football team, and supports his son’s firm, AEW


The Pakistani-born tycoon went to the US to study engineering, designed a truck bumper that made him rich, and now owns a football club and an American football team, and supports his son’s firm, AEW.
