A NEW owner would be music to the ears of Arsenal fans – especially if it’s the founder of streaming service Spotify.
Billionaire Swede Daniel Ek, 38, was reportedly set to launch a takeover bid for the Gunners – with the help of Gunners legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira earlier this year.
However, a deal with current owner Stan Kroenke seems unlikely for now – with the American insisting he doesn’t want to sell the club.
But fans would’ve been buoyed to have seen him sitting alongside pal Henry at Sunday’s North London derby, cheering his team on.
The song-streaming entrepreneur has supported Arsenal since he was eight when his favourite player – and compatriot – Anders Limpar graced Highbury.
Ek has been given an ear bashing by some of music’s biggest artists – who have complained about how much money they’ve been paid by Spotify.
That might stand him in good stead if he takes over at the Em-irate-s!
He has built up an empire worth £48billion, of which he is believed to have a 12-14 per cent share.
Ek and Arsenal could, of course, be a marriage made in heaven.
And if it is anything like his own nuptials, there will be no expense spared.
Ek invited pals including Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg to a stunning Lake Como setting for a lavish wedding.
Bruno Mars was on hand as the wedding singer, while Hollywood star Chris Rock officiated proceedings.
GUNNER FOR LIFE
Born and raised in a rough suburb of Stockholm called Ragsved, Ek grew up a Gooner.
He fell in love with George Graham’s Arsenal back in 1991 and it all stemmed from one player – Sweden legend Limpar, who was a Gunner from 1990-94.
Ek revealed himself as an Arsenal fan in 2018 in a tweet following a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.
He wrote: “I’ve been an Arsenal fan since 1991 (Anders Limpar). Yet, the despair (normally it’s a roller coaster) this season has been something else. First real game I felt at peace.”
Ek never misses a game from his £43million home in Sweden, watching matches on TV.
TECH SAVVY
He was a self-starter. From 14, he owned his own business, he designed websites and taught youngsters how to use Photoshop, and the art of programming.
Incredibly, by 16 he was earning more than his dad, a mechanic, and mum, a childminder, combined.
Google snubbed him, however, because he didn’t have a degree. Perhaps they should have looked him up.
“At the time I was quite rebellious and didn’t take no for an answer, so I said, ‘I’m going to compete with them,’ ” he told the Financial Times.
BIRTH OF SPOTIFY
In 2008, Ek launched Spotify in Europe and three years later it arrived in the US.
The streaming service came after Napster – a controversial file sharing service that allowed subscribers to upload music to – had caused a major piracy row and was shut down.
But Ek was convinced Spotify could thrive.
He also believed that if he offered music for free on users’ computers with adverts, people would pay for a service on their iPhones which would remove ads.
That was enough to get several music companies onside, who allowed Spotify access to their archives for a fee.
Today, it boasts over 155 million subscribers – with many paying £9.99 monthly for a premium service.
It is said to be worth around £48bn, but amusingly-relaxed Ek doesn’t know how much is his share.
“Maybe 12 to 14 per cent, something like that,” he once said.
GUNNING FOR HIM
Last year, Ek had musicians gunning for him when he said it “wasn’t enough” for them to “record music once every three to four years”.
Stars including REM songwriter Mike Mills said Ek didn’t understand the work that goes into making hit songs and that they shouldn’t just be churned out.
Taylor Swift famously removed her entire back catalogue from Spotify in 2014, claiming artists didn’t receive enough money per stream. She reconciled with the company in 2017.
It has been estimated that Spotify pay around £0.0031 per stream – with some music stars getting around £3,000 per one million streams.
WEDDING TO BEAT ALL WEDDINGS
With friends in high places, Ek was always going to have an incredible wedding day.
The setting was the beautiful Lake Como in Italy, where the tech guru said ‘I do’ to long-term girlfriend, Sofia Levander in 2016.
Facebook co-founder Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla, as well as Swedish explorer Johan Ernst Nilson were some of the guests.
But incredibly, Ek had Hollywood A-lister Rock officiating the ceremony.
Music, of course, was a big theme. The couple walked down the aisle to Guns N’ Roses anthem November Rain.
Mars was hired as the wedding singer – performing during the reception and appropriately singing his hit Marry You.
FAMILY MAN
Before settling down, Ek lived the high-life: “Buying sports cars, going to expensive nightclubs, spraying people with champagne and things like that,” he once said.
But now, at 38, he’s more responsible with his cash.
“What I learnt is that it wasn’t for me and, in fact, I feel pretty empty after doing that.”
He is now a father of two, who dotes on his two daughters, Elissa and Colinne, and is said to prefer nights in at his £43m home on the outskirts of Stockholm.
Should he take over at Arsenal, you can bet he won’t be watching games on his big screen there.
There will be nice, plush seat waiting for him in the directors’ box. That is the dream for the king of the stream.
