Miguel Ángel Gil Marín

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Lore & Background

Born in 1963 in Madrid, he is the second son of Jesús Gil y Gil, former President of Atlético Madrid (1987–2003) and Mayor of Marbella (1991–2002), and María Ángeles Marín Cobo. Graduated as veterinarian, his father gave him control over the Valdeolivas property in Arenas de San Pedro near the Sierra de Gredos, known as location for horse breeding. In time, Gil Marín developed a business conglomerate dedicated to horse and bull breeding as well as hunting activities, with businesses in both Valdeolivas (10 km²) and the Finca El Arco (2.5 km²) in the province of Toledo. His father also introduced him to administration of the Atlético de Madrid football team, with Gil Marín becoming the CEO in 1993. Since 2004, as Jesús Gil died, he also became the owner of the majority of shares along Enrique Cerezo, who became Chairman of the company. As the conversion from football club into a Sociedad Anónima Deportiva (SAD) in the 1990s was ruled as a case of embezzlement ("unlawful appropriation") by justice (although the Supreme Court suspended the two-year prison sentence to Gil Marín and Cerezo as well as the restitution of shares in 2004 on the basis of the extinction of the charges after 5 years), the property over the shares remains controversial. Gil Marín lives in the exclusive La Finca in Pozuelo de Alarcón; his fortune was estimated as the 52nd in Spain.

In Their Own Story

The Valdeolivas property in Arenas de San Pedro near the Sierra de Gredos wasn't just a horse farm—it was the training ground for a future sports executive. Graduated as a veterinarian, Gil Marín took control of that 10 km2 estate from his father, Jesús Gil y Gil, and built a conglomerate spanning horse and bull breeding and hunting activities, including the Finca El Arco (2.5 km2) in Toledo. But the real arena was the Vicente Calderón. In 1993, his father handed him the CEO role at Atlético Madrid. When Jesús Gil died in 2004, Gil Marín became the majority shareholder alongside Enrique Cerezo, who became Chairman. Yet the path was rocky: the club's conversion to a SAD in the 1990s was ruled embezzlement, though a 2004 Supreme Court decision suspended the two-year prison sentence and share restitution because charges expired after five years. The controversy over share ownership lingers, but Gil Marín remains in control, living in the exclusive La Finca in Pozuelo de Alarcón, with a 2022 fortune ranked 52nd in Spain.

Reader's Guide

Miguel Ángel Gil Marín has been CEO of Atlético Madrid since 1993 and became majority shareholder after his father's death in 2004. His ownership remains controversial due to a legal case involving the club's conversion to a SAD.

Did You Know?

• He is a veterinarian by training.
• He runs a horse and bull breeding conglomerate on properties in Valdeolivas and Finca El Arco.
• He won the Globe Soccer Award for Best Director of the Year in 2010.