Beyond our wildest dreams (From Daily Echo)

Beyond our wildest dreams

8:08am Saturday 28th April 2007 in

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"IT is beyond my wildest dreams." Those were the words last night of a major Southampton Football Club shareholder over the news that one of the world's richest men has put in a preliminary offer to buy out the club.

Paul Allen, the man widely believed to be behind the bid, is worth an estimated £10 billion, putting him alongside Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich in the rich stakes.

Mr Allen's fortune - he is the world's 19th richest person - comes in part from his connection with global software giant Microsoft, which he co-founded with Bill Gates in 1975.

Share price Yesterday as Saints' share price rocketed to its highest level this decade, the figure being bandied about for the buy-out was a reported £55m - though that would still be small change for the 54-year-old American.

To read more of this story and a profile on the Microsoft tycoon, then read today's Daily Echo.

In fact, ironically, the figure is almost the same as the sum Roman Abramovich paid Mr Allen four years ago for the superyacht Le Grand Bleu.