Miguel Ángel

Verified Timeline

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.

In Their Own Story

In 2004, the Spanish Supreme Court handed down a ruling that could have shattered the ownership structure of Atlético Madrid. The conversion of the club into a Sociedad Anónima Deportiva (SAD) in the 1990s had been deemed a case of embezzlement—"unlawful appropriation"—by the courts. Gil Marín and Enrique Cerezo faced a two-year prison sentence and were ordered to return their shares. But the Supreme Court suspended both the sentence and the restitution, citing the extinction of the charges after five years. The decision meant Gil Marín retained his majority stake, but the cloud of controversy never fully lifted. To this day, the legitimacy of the shareholding remains a point of debate among fans and legal observers alike.

Reader's Guide

Miguel Ángel Gil Marín has been CEO of Atlético Madrid since 1993 and is the main shareholder. His fortune was estimated as the 52nd in Spain, though the source does not specify a year for that ranking.

Did You Know?

• He graduated as a veterinarian before entering football administration.
• He received the Globe Soccer Award for Best director of the year in 2010.
• His father Jesús Gil y Gil was both President of Atlético Madrid and Mayor of Marbella.