"IT is beyond my wildest dreams." Those were the words last night of a major Southampton Football Club shareholder over the news that one of the world's richest men has put in a preliminary offer to buy out the club.
Paul Allen, the man widely believed to be behind the bid, is worth an estimated £10 billion, putting him alongside Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich in the rich stakes.
Mr Allen's fortune - he is the world's 19th richest person - comes in part from his connection with global software giant Microsoft, which he co-founded with Bill Gates in 1975.
Share price Yesterday as Saints' share price rocketed to its highest level this decade, the figure being bandied about for the buy-out was a reported £55m - though that would still be small change for the 54-year-old American.
In fact, ironically, the figure is almost the same as the sum Roman Abramovich paid Mr Allen four years ago for the superyacht Le Grand Bleu.
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