Fosun Sports Group to Make Minority Investment in Evil Geniuses
Valuing Team at More Than $250 Million.
SEATTLE, July 28, 2021 – Evil Geniuses, one of the world’s oldest and most iconic esports
organizations, today announced a partnership with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (“Wolves”), a
founding member of the English Football League, combining the worlds of traditional sports and
esports. In conjunction with the partnership, Fosun, which acquired Wolves in 2016, has agreed
to make a minority investment in Evil Geniuses, valuing the team at $255 million postinvestment. Evil Geniuses will be the first esports team with a physical presence in North
America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
The partnership and investment will enable Evil Geniuses to continue expanding its footprint into
global markets. Wolves, the popular English Premier League team and global fashion and
esports brand, share Evil Geniuses’ values of supporting inclusion, education, innovation,
teamwork and competition through esports. Evil Geniuses will leverage Wolves’ Asian market
expertise and local training facilities to further Evil Geniuses’ expansion in the region. The initial
partnership will see Wolves branding featured on Evil Geniuses’ uniforms, as well as
collaboration to create English and Chinese language content, sponsorship opportunities and
jointly branded merchandise.
“We are thrilled to partner with Wolves, a storied football club and strong sports and
entertainment brand that aligns with our values and mission,” said Nicole LaPointe Jameson,
Evil Geniuses’ Chief Executive Officer. “This deal will help power Evil Geniuses’ expansion into
the Asian markets while also providing new capital to sign more world-class players and grow
into new esports titles.”
“This is an incredibly exciting partnership for Wolves and Wolves Esports. We have very lofty
ambitions in esports, and this partnership allows us to learn from the very best in Evil
Geniuses,” said Wolves’ General Manager of Marketing and Commercial Growth, Russell
Jones. “We’ll be pooling resources across analysis and performance as well as marketing and
commercial to service and grow both organizations. We are looking forward to working with Evil
Geniuses on a number of fan engagement initiatives over the next few months, and when travel
routes allow, we will be encouraging our teams to visit and engage with one another.”
About Evil Geniuses
Founded in 1999, Evil Geniuses is one of the original and most recognizable professional
esports organizations, boasting over 86 national and 102 international championship titles,
capturing over $24 million in tournament winnings, and cultivating some of the longest-tenured
partnerships and talent relationships in the industry.
Evil Geniuses was built on the belief that passion, commitment, and innovation could transform
a beloved interest into a global phenomenon. Today, that same drive and dedication serve as
the foundation of their legendary organization. From our top-tier esports teams to our industrychanging technology, Evil Geniuses’ goal has always been – and will continue to be – building
champions.
About Wolverhampton Wanderers
Founded in 1877, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) is one of the oldest and most respected
football teams in England and currently compete in the Premier League, which is the world’s
most watched – available in 188 countries with a cumulative annual audience of 3.2 billion
people.
In 1888, Wolves were one of the original 12 founders of the first ever professional football
league, and just under 70 years later, in 1954, became pioneers of European football,
introducing fans to floodlit matches against giants such as Spartak Moscow and Budapest
Honvéd FC.
A 140-year rollercoaster ride across all four divisions of the English football pyramid has seen
Wolves amass 17 major trophies in their history, including 11 league titles, four FA Cups and
two League Cups. In 2016, Wolves were acquired by Chinese consumer technology company
Fosun International, and a return to the Premier League followed in 2018, followed by a topeight finish in the Europa League and back-to-back seventh placed finishes at the top of English
football.
