The businessman leading a bid to buy Tottenham Hotspur swapped DJing for NASA before establishing himself as a tech entrepreneur. The Sun reports that a consortium spearheaded by American Brooklyn Earick is eyeing up the club, just weeks after two expressions of interest were turned down by Spurs' majority shareholders ENIC, which is controlled by the Lewis family.
Discussions between Earick and the club are believed to have commenced while former chairman Daniel Levy was still in charge but have gathered pace since his surprising exit was confirmed earlier this month. The 12-strong consortium, which is said to feature NFL and NBA backers, are prepared to splash out £4.5billion on the club, £3.3bn to purchase ENIC and the Lewis family's stake, plus £1.2bn for transfers, which could potentially be accessible from January onwards. That total sum would eclipse the record £4.25bn that Todd Boehly's consortium shelled out for Chelsea in 2022. But who exactly is Earick and what draws him to Spurs?
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Who is Brooklyn Earick?
Earick, 41, has certainly lived an eclectic life. He dedicated a decade to DJing and music production, entertaining audiences across North America and Europe while simultaneously nurturing a passion for football. He said in 2011: "It's crazy how big electronic music is everywhere.
"I always relate it to soccer. Soccer is massive everywhere else in the world, and it's just starting to gain a little steam here in the US. It's kind of the same with electronic music."
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However, after becoming "burnt out" by the music scene, he made a drastic career change by securing a position at NASA as an electrical engineer. Speaking in an interview in 2016, he explained: "I spent the better part of a decade as a DJ and music producer. I've played shows all over the U.S, Canada, the Caribbean and Europe, from LA to NYC to London to Ibiza.
"I'm very fortunate to have done that for as long as I did, but I was definitely burnt out towards the end. So I hung up the headphones, moved to San Francisco and landed an internship at NASA Ames as an electrical engineer in the small spacecraft division.
"NASA is where I was first exposed to computer programming. I quickly realised how powerful it was, and loved the fact that if you had an idea, you could open your computer and start it right away. So I started taking online courses for both coding and design, reading books and brainstorming ideas."
The expertise he developed while working at NASA sparked his subsequent career transition into the tech industry, where he worked on numerous projects and established high-level connections. Earick established Redacted RnD, which describes itself as "a thought leader in blockchain innovation and digital assets."
Blockchain is a method of selling and recording digital currency, such as Crypto. He also operates a technology-focused investment fund called Algorith Capital. Earlier this year, he was on the brink of purchasing the Maserati MSG Formula E team, but the deal collapsed.
Why Tottenham?
Apart from last season's Europa League victory, Tottenham have endured a barren spell when it comes to silverware. Yet away from the action, the club represents a tremendous triumph courtesy of their magnificent stadium, widely considered among the finest sporting venues in the world.
Spurs generate approximately £4.8m from every home fixture, while commercial income has soared by a staggering 237 per cent when measured against their final complete campaign at the former White Hart Lane. The London location is also a draw, which certainly appeals to prospective purchasers from abroad.
An insider familiar with Earick revealed to the Sun: "Brooklyn and his team think everything is in place at Tottenham already.
"Spurs has a world-class stadium and training ground, the infrastructure is all in place. But with the investment they are ready to make, it will be the final step to turn the club into winners on the pitch as well."
Spurs' takeover stance
A club statement at the start of September said "Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale" after Amanda Staveley's PCP International Finance and a consortium of investors led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited were revealed to be interested in acquiring the north London club.
ENIC controls 87 per cent of Spurs, but given that the remaining shares are publicly listed, the club falls under the UK Takeover Code. Consequently, any indication of interest or offer must be submitted to the Takeover Code panel and disclosed publicly.
A source close to the Lewis family trust has confirmed that they have not been informed of any consortium prepared to purchase Tottenham, reiterating that the club is not for sale.