During the peak of his ownership at Wigan Athletic, Dave Whelan was worth more than David Beckham, according to major media reports. In 2011, he was officially recognised as the wealthiest Brit still involved in football, eclipsing David Beckham, with the Sunday Times Sport Rich List stating his net worth stood at £190 million, considerably higher than Beckham's estimated £135 million at the time. Whelan's net worth is now estimated at over £162 million, while Beckham's fortune is believed to be worth between £500 million and £700 million, indicating a significant shift in their financial standings.
The exact timeframe and reasons for Whelan's decline from £190 million to over £162 million remain unclear. Whelan had reached a basic agreement with Manchester United official Martin Edwards about purchasing the club in the 1980s, though the specific year and exact terms of that agreement are not known. According to Daily Mirror - Main, the purchase was all sorted and was going to be sealed within 28 days.
I made the wrong decision in regards to Manchester United, because it is interesting to see what has happened since.
However, his wife Patricia expressed concerns about the deal, influencing his decision not to proceed. According to Daily Mirror - Main, she questioned whether people in cities like London, Liverpool, and Birmingham would shop at his JJB Sports stores if he owned Manchester United, though why she thought this would negatively impact the business is unspecified. Other factors beyond her concerns that may have influenced his decision are also unknown.
The purchase of Manchester United was all sorted with Martin Edwards and was going to be sealed within 28 days.
Later I went home and said to my wife Patricia that I'd pulled off a good deal to buy Manchester United - £11.5m was a lot of money then. She said 'what?' I was in JJB and expanding so she said, 'do you think all the people in London, Liverpool, Birmingham will come and shop at your stores when you own Manchester United?'