From his humble beginnings in Pakistan to one of the leading business tycoons of today, Shahid Rafiq Khan’s remarkable success story captures the spirit of the American dream. His rise is a testament to his careful vision and hard work, from his signing on as an engineer at Flex-N-Gate to raising enough money to buy the entire company and eventually becoming Forbes’ fifth richest person in Florida and fourth NFL owner in the US. Since then, he has grown Flex-N-Gate into a multi-billion dollar global car parts supply offering its services to massive Auto conglomerates such as Lamborghini, Jaguar, BMW, and Bentley while also keying into sports administration by owning the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL, Fulham F.C. of the English Football League, and having an ownership stake in All Elite Wrestling.
Shahid Rafiq Khan initially immigrated to the United States in 1967 at 16. His hard work and determination have paid off, as he has created a remarkable success story. He is celebrated for his endearing personality, tireless optimism, signature mustache, and wavy hair. Forbes records Shahid’s net worth at an incredible $11.2 billion, making him the fifth richest person in Florida and the fourth most prosperous NFL owner.
Early Life
Shahid Rafiq Khan was born to a professor of mathematics and a small shop owner in Lahore, Pakistan. At 16, he immigrated to the United States, pursuing higher education at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, two hours south of Chicago. His hard work and ambition made him an extraordinary Pakistani-American billionaire business executive and sports magnate.
Shahid Rafiq Khan is an extraordinary Pakistani-American billionaire business executive and sports magnate. His success story began in Lahore, Pakistan, where he was born to a professor of mathematics and a small shop owner. He immigrated to the United States at 16 and pursued higher education at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, two hours south of Chicago. As a result of his hard work, dedication, and ambition, Shahid Rafiq Khan now owns the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League, Fulham F.C. of the English Football League, and is co-owner of the American wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling.
At the University of Illinois, Charles Gleason Butzow, an ambitious farming entrepreneur, recognized Shahid Khan’s potential and recruited him to be Flex-N-Gate’s chief engineer. Khan worked alongside Butzow to develop the revolutionary one-piece truck bumper used in one in five cars in North America. After years of dedication and hard work, Khan raised enough money to purchase the company from interim owners Scott & Fetzer in 1980. Through his tenacity, Khan grew Flex-N-Gate into a multi-billion dollar company that now supplies car parts for Lamborghini, Jaguar, BMW, and Bentley. Today, Flex-N-Gate boasts 26,000 employees and annual revenue exceeding $8.6 billion – an incredible success story in which both Butzow and Khan can take great pride.
Shahid Rafiq Khan’s Sports Portfolio
• 2011: Purchases Jacksonville Jaguars for $770 million
• 2013: Acquires London-based Fulham Football Club for $300 million
• 2019: Key investor behind All Elite Wrestling
• Founded a league called Elite alongside former WWE superstar Cody Rhodes and “Hangman” Adam Page
In 2011, Shahid Rafiq Khan made history by becoming the first ethnic minority owner in the NFL when he purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars for $770 million from Wayne Weaver. In 2013, Khan proudly expanded his sports portfolio to Europe with a deal to acquire the London-based Fulham Football Club for $300 million from the Egyptian entrepreneur Mohamed Al-Fayed. Fast forward to 2019, and Khan and his son Tony became key investors behind the wrestling venture All Elite Wrestling alongside former WWE superstar Cody Rhodes and “Hangman” Adam Page, forming their league called Elite.
There is no doubt that Shahid’s story is an inspiration to all that explicates hard work and perseverance. To this day, he has made a unique name for himself and proudly gives back to the community to help others and the community as a whole, flourish.
