The financial world and football community were rocked as Josh Wander, the co-founder of 777 Partners, was officially charged with defrauding investors and lenders of more than $500 million (£372 million).
According to Manhattan federal prosecutors, Wander allegedly falsified financial documents and inflated the company’s assets to mislead lenders and investors about the firm’s financial health.
The case shines a harsh spotlight on 777 Partners, a Miami-based investment firm that famously attempted to buy Premier League club Everton in 2024 — a deal that collapsed before the Friedkin Group completed the takeover later that year.
“Wander used his investment firm, 777 Partners, to cheat private lenders and investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars by pledging assets that his firm did not own, falsifying bank statements, and making other material misrepresentations,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
Special Agent Ricky J Patel further described 777’s operations as “an illusion of stability that was a years-long house of cards.”
Prosecutors allege that since 2018, Wander expanded 777 Partners’ investments into high-risk sectors such as streaming platforms, airlines, and professional football clubs — including Sevilla FC and Genoa CFC — without having the actual financial backing to support them.
These ventures were allegedly financed with money that either didn’t exist or was already pledged to other lenders, with Wander reportedly concealing the truth to sustain the company’s image of success.
Wander, 44, faces multiple charges including:
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Wire fraud
Securities fraud
Each of these carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while an additional charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud carries up to five years.
His lawyer, Jordan Estes, maintains his client’s innocence, stating:
“This is a business dispute dressed up as a criminal case. We look forward to setting the record straight.”
The indictment not only marks a dramatic turn for Wander and 777 Partners but also raises serious questions about transparency in sports ownership and investment firms. After their failed Everton bid, the firm’s credibility in the global sports market is now under intense scrutiny.
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