Business of Sports
Inter Milan Was a Billionaire Plaything, Then the Money Ran Out
One of Italy’s greatest football teams has just won its 20th league title, but in the boardroom there’s been little to cheer.
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Soon after buying Inter Milan in 2016, Chinese retail billionaire Zhang Jindong installed his 24-year-old son to help run one of the most famous football teams in Italy.
Zhang Kangyang — who also goes by Steven — embraced his new role. A former M&A analyst at Morgan Stanley, he was soon to be seen driving a Pagani Huayra BC sportscar, worth over $3 million, around the streets of Milan. On the spoiler were the words Nerazzurra — blue and black — referring to the colors of Inter Milan.