Juventus Owners Reject $1.2 Billion Takeover Bid from Cryptocurrency Firm
December 13, 2025 – The Agnelli family, owners of Juventus Football Club, have publicly turned down a takeover offer from cryptocurrency giant Tether valued at approximately €1 billion (nearly $1.2 billion), ensuring that the Italian Serie A powerhouse remains under longtime family control.
John Elkann, CEO of Exor—the Agnelli family’s holding company—addressed the offer in a video message posted on Juventus’ official website on Saturday. “Juventus, our history and our values are not for sale,” Elkann said. He emphasized the family’s deep-rooted connection to the club, which has stood strong for over a century. “Juve has been part of my family for 102 years. Over the course of a century, four generations have emboldened it, made it strong, taken care of it in tough times, and celebrated it in the many festive moments.”
Elkann further reiterated the family’s commitment to investing in the club’s future, stating: “We continue to support our squad and are looking toward the future in order to build a winning Juve.”
Juventus, Italy’s most successful club with a record 36 Serie A titles, has faced challenges recently, failing to win the league since their dominant run of nine consecutive titles from 2012 to 2020. After a difficult start to the current season, Juventus made a managerial change last month, replacing Igor Tudor with Luciano Spalletti. Spalletti expressed his respect and gratitude for the owners’ decision to keep the club’s stewardship within the family. “It’s a pleasure once again to feel the strength and passion of John Elkann and his family for this club,” he said ahead of Juventus’ Serie A match against Bologna. “It’s clear that it’s up to us to give substance in exchange for this passion, honoring the past and building a future at the same level, or even better, as John Elkann himself told us when he came to visit us.”
The Agnelli family’s commitment to Juventus is notable against the backdrop of changing ownership trends in Italian football. Several other major Serie A clubs, including AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Roma, are owned by foreign investment groups, while Napoli—the defending Serie A champions—is controlled by Italian film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis. Juventus remains one of the few top Italian clubs still privately held by a historic family.
Exor firmly reiterated its position in an official statement: “Exor reaffirms its previous, consistent statements that it has no intention of selling any of its shares in Juventus to a third party, including but not restricted to El Salvador-based Tether.” The statement emphasized the family’s pride and dedication to Juventus, highlighting their full support for the club’s management and strategic plans for success both on and off the pitch.
The Agnelli family and Exor have been involved with Juventus for over a century, and despite previous turmoil—including the resignation of former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli and the entire board in 2022 amid a false accounting investigation—the family remains resolute in its stewardship of the club.
This rejection ends speculation about a potential change in ownership to cryptocurrency interests and demonstrates Juventus’ determination to maintain its historic identity and family legacy.
Report compiled using information from ESPN News Services and The Associated Press.