{{short description|Chinese businessman}} {{Infobox person |name = Tony Xia |image = |image_size = |alt = |caption = |birth_name = Xia Jiantong<ref name="G1" /> |birth_date = |birth_place = Quzhou, China |alma_mater = Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |occupation = Entrepreneur, investor |years_active = 1999–present |boards = |spouse = |children = 1 |parents = }}
'''Tony Jiantong Xia''' ({{lang-zh|c=夏建统|p='''Xià Jiàntǒng'''}}) is a Chinese businessman. He is the chairman, CEO and owner of Recon Group.
== Early life and education == Xia was born in Quzhou, Zhejiang.<ref name="G1">{{cite web|last1=Phillips|first1=Tom|title=Tony Xia hopes revamp will turn Aston Villa into one of world's top three clubs|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/19/tony-xia-revamp-aston-villa-top-three-world-owner|website=The Guardian|accessdate=20 May 2016|date=19 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="Netsease">{{cite web|url=http://news.163.com/16/0519/22/BNFAEIQH00014AEE.html|title=联合睿康全资收购英超"降班马" 实控人夏建统再施财技|website=Netsease|accessdate=20 May 2016}}</ref> At the age of 14, he left home to attend university in Beijing.<ref name="G1" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Steve Hollis: Tony Xia takeover will prove "transformational" for Aston Villa|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/aston-villa-fc/2016/05/19/steve-hollis-tony-xia-takeover-will-prove-transformational-for-aston-villa/|accessdate=25 May 2016|work=Express & Star|date=19 May 2016}}</ref> He was amongst the first 25 of 1,000 selected to study abroad at Harvard (where he studied landscape design), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a five-month exchange to study at Trinity College, Oxford in 1998–99.<ref name="G1" /><ref name="BBC01">{{cite news|title=Aston Villa takeover: Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia agrees £60m deal|work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36327300|accessdate=19 May 2016}}</ref> He has a PhD as a doctor of design in urban planning.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Graeme |title=What kind of a doctor is Tony Xia? The story behind the Aston Villa owner's title |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-kind-doctor-tony-xia-14865724 |access-date=1 November 2023 |work=Birmingham Mail |date=4 July 2018}}</ref>
== Career == In March 1999, Xia founded design company XWHO in Boston, US co-owned by his then-girlfriend and one of his lecturers. The company relocated to Hangzhou, China where Xia started a planning company called Teamax, which he sold for £430 million.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
=== Recon Group === Xia took over Chinese company Recon Group in 2004.<ref name="G1" /> The company is based in Beijing and Hangzhou and is the umbrella organisation for Xia's companies which operate in IT, health and agriculture, new energy and smart transportation, engineering and design, financial services, and sports, leisure, and tourism.<ref name="BM1">{{cite web|last1=Wollaston|first1=Steve|title=Who is Dr Tony Xia?|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/who-dr-tony-xia-lowdown-11353864#r3z-addoor|website=birminghammail|accessdate=19 May 2016|date=18 May 2016}}</ref> Xia added he planned to invest in or buy football clubs in India, Spain, the US, and Australia to create a new 'sports sector' within his portfolio.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
In February 2017 Recon Group subsidiary Recon Holding agreed to purchase a 51% stake in Millennium Films, a Hollywood film studio specialising in action films including ''The Expendables'' series. Previous majority stakeholder and founder Avi Lerner would have remained as Chief Executive Officer with Xia becoming chairman.<ref>{{cite web|title=China's Recon Buys 51% of Avi Lerner's Millennium Films for $100 Million|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/asia/chinas-recon-holding-millennium-films-for-100-million-1201994750/|website=Variety|date=23 February 2017 |accessdate=19 May 2017}}</ref> This deal was later announced to be off in August 2017 due to the Chinese government clamping down on overseas business investments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chinese Firm Abandons $100M Acquisition of Avi Lerner's Millennium Films |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinese-firm-abandons-100m-acquisition-avi-lerners-millennium-films-1034194 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=30 August 2017 |accessdate=11 April 2019}}</ref>
On 19 March 2020, Xia announced that the Recon Group had focused attention to their Healthcare and Bioscience division, which was producing and exporting COVID-19 testing kits, hand sanitizer, ventilators, thermometers and PPE to countries around the world that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rushton|first=James|date=19 March 2020|title=What former Aston Villa owner Dr Tony Xia claims to be doing to help tackle coronavirus|work=Birmingham Mail|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/dr-tony-xia-recon-coronavirus-17946699|access-date=5 January 2021}}</ref>
=== Aston Villa F.C. === On 18 May 2016, it was announced that Recon Group had agreed to buy Aston Villa for a reported £60 million from American businessman Randy Lerner, with the club becoming part of Recon Group's Sports, Leisure and Tourism division. On 14 June 2016, the sale was completed for a reported £76 million after being approved by the Football League. Upon completion of the sale, Xia became chairman of the club.<ref name="AV1">{{cite web|title=Introducing Tony Xia {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Aston Villa|url=http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~5580405,00.html|website=www.avfc.co.uk|accessdate=19 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519104219/http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10265~5580405%2C00.html|archive-date=19 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Club statement: Sale confirmed {{!}} Latest News {{!}} Aston Villa|url=http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~5650044,00.html|website=www.avfc.co.uk|accessdate=14 June 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615112812/http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10265~5650044%2C00.html|archive-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>
Xia's tenure at Aston Villa featured heavy investment in the club, but problems with moving cash out of China and into the United Kingdom soon hit Xia and Aston Villa hard. On 5 June 2018, Aston Villa missed the deadline for a £4 million tax bill, and the club was faced with a winding up order and the real possibility of going out of business.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/05/aston-villa-tax-bill-unpaid-wyness-suspended-tony-xia|title=Aston Villa miss £4m tax bill deadline as chief executive is suspended|last=James|first=Stuart|date=5 June 2018|work=The Guardian}}</ref> On 6 June 2018, Xia suspended Aston Villa's CEO Keith Wyness, who later resigned, after he was alleged to have discussed the prospect of Aston Villa's possible administration and subsequent 12-point deduction with third parties without Xia's knowledge.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/keith-wyness-investigated-over-huge-14749897|title=Keith Wyness investigated over huge bust-up with owner Tony Xia|last=Evans|first=Gregg|date=6 June 2018|work=Birmingham Mail}}</ref> The following day, 7 June 2018, Xia managed to negotiate an agreement with HM Revenue and Customs to pay £500,000 of the £4 million bill, promising to pay the remaining portion at a later date. This saved the club from immediate danger, but Xia confirmed that the club was still in significant financial difficulty.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/07/aston-villa-reach-agreement-hmrc-over-4m-tax-bill|title=Aston Villa reach agreement with HMRC over £4m tax bill|date=7 June 2018|work=The Guardian}}</ref> Xia sold his majority stake in the club to NSWE in July 2018, and became a minority stakeholder and co-chairman.<ref>{{cite news|title=Aston Villa: Wes Edens & Nassef Sawiris to make 'significant investment' in club|work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44901531|accessdate=15 August 2018}}</ref>
In June 2019, Keith Wyness took Aston Villa to court for constructive dismissal, however this was settled out of court in favour of Wyness and the club released a statement saying he had acted in the best interests of the club. Wyness later tried to sue Xia directly, but that was also rejected by a judge who stated that the case would be prejudiced against Xia (living in China at the time), who would be required to travel back to the UK to give evidence at considerable financial and time costs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/heres-what-happened-keith-wyness-16382977|title=Here's what happened when Keith Wyness tried to sue Tony Xia|last=Rudge|first=Dean|date=5 June 2019|work=Birmingham Mail}}</ref>
On 9 August 2019, documents from Companies House revealed that Recon Group's minority share ownership had been bought out, and Xia no longer had any stake in the club.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/aston-villa/2019/08/09/tony-xia-leaves-aston-villa-with-former-owners-remaining-shareholding-wiped-out/|title=Tony Xia leaves Aston Villa with former owner's remaining shareholding wiped out|last=Maher|first=Matt|date=9 August 2019|work=Express & Star}}</ref>
=== Legal Issues === On 18 October 2019, a court in Beijing issued an arrest warrant for Xia. There was a £30,000 reward for information that led to his arrest. Recon Group, and by extension Xia, were accused of Breach of Contract and Non-Payment of Debt.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arrest-warrant-issued-former-aston-20648242|title=Arrest warrant issued for former Aston Villa owner Dr Tony Xia in China|last=Nursey|first=James|date=18 October 2019|work=The Mirror|access-date=18 October 2019}}</ref> Xia responded via his Twitter account, claiming that the allegations were a fabrication, created by a "local competitor attempting to cause damage to [him]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Dr_TonyXia/status/1185241428428853249|title=Dr Tony Xia Twitter Statement|date=18 October 2019|website=Twitter}}</ref> Xia reportedly spent 6 months in several detention centres in China between July 2020 and January 2021, after being formally arrested on suspicion of harming the interests of a Shenzhen-listed manufacturing company.<ref>{{Cite news|last=White|first=Jonathan|date=7 February 2021|title=Ex-Aston Villa owner Tony Xia 'detained for six months before arrest'|work=South China Morning Post|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3120884/ex-aston-villa-owner-tony-xia-detained-six-months-arrest-report|access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>
A 2021 investigation by Al Jazeera into alleged money laundering in English football claimed that Xia's ownership of Aston Villa may have been part of this.<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 August 2021|title=Investigation reveals how football can be used to launder money|work=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.ajiunit.com/article/investigation-reveals-how-football-can-be-used-to-launder-money/|access-date=10 August 2021}}</ref> A deal-maker who was speaking to an undercover journalist claimed that the money used was not Xia's, but in fact was a front for an unknown investor.<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 August 2021|title=Samuelson also claims Chinese investor, Tony Xia, who bought @AVFCOfficial in 2016 was a front for an unknown investor. He says he doesn't know where his client's money really came from.|url=https://twitter.com/ajiunit/status/1424847760650551296|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Al Jazeera English on Twitter|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Maher|first=Matt|date=13 August 2021|title=Matt Maher: Shining a light on to the men in the shadows|work=Express & Star|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/2021/08/13/matt-maher-shining-a-light-on-to-the-men-in-the-shadows/|access-date=13 August 2021}}</ref> Following this investigation, former colleague Keith Wyness cast doubt on whether Xia was as wealthy as he had claimed, stating "Not a lot was known about him that could be independently verified. My concern was that for a supposed billionaire with a string of companies, Mr Xia appeared not to have a grasp of basic financial modelling."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harrison |first=David |date=10 August 2021 |title=How a convicted criminal can buy a famous English football club |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/8/10/how-convicted-criminal-can-buy-famous-english-football-club-launder-money |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Xia has a home in Beijing. He has a wife, Sally, and one child.<ref name="BM2">{{cite web|last1=Kendrick|first1=Mat|title=What Tony Xia's latest interview tells us about the Aston Villa owner|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-tony-xias-latest-interview-11368005|website=birminghammail|accessdate=23 May 2016|date=22 May 2016}}</ref> He became an Aston Villa fan after watching them at Villa Park during his time as a student at Oxford University.<ref name="G1" /> Xia played football at college as a striker.<ref name="G1" /><ref name="BM1" />
Xia describes himself as a self-made millionaire.<ref name="G1" /> In 2018, his estimated wealth was £1bn.<ref name="BP_Jan2018">{{cite web|last1=Strachan|first1=Ian|title=Rich List 2018: No.7= - Dr Tony Xia|url=https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/rich-list-2018-no7-dr-14132081|website=birminghampost|accessdate=19 May 2018|date=25 January 2018}}</ref>
Xia uses the English name Tony Xia.<ref name="G1" />
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xia, Tony}} Category:Living people Category:1976 births Category:Aston Villa F.C. directors and chairmen Category:Businesspeople from Zhejiang Category:Chinese football chairmen and investors Category:Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni Category:People from Quzhou Category:Billionaires from Zhejiang Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Category:Chinese billionaires