U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a pardon to Joe Lewis, the 88-year-old billionaire and former owner of Tottenham Hotspur, a White House official confirmed on Thursday.
Lewis requested the pardon so he could receive medical treatment in the United States and visit his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The British businessman, whose family trust still holds the majority stake in Tottenham, pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. He avoided prison time and has been living in the Bahamas. He previously paid a $5 million fine and did not fight extradition to the U.S.
Lewis, worth an estimated $6.8 billion according to Forbes, made his fortune as a currency speculator in the 1980s and early 1990s.
His holding company, ENIC, purchased a controlling stake in Tottenham in 2001 for $22 million.
He formally stepped away from control of the club in 2022, transferring his stake to a family trust.
