According to several media reports, Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin has agreed to pay $650 million for World Triathlon Corporation, in the latest addition to his growing sports empire. World Triathlon organizes Ironman events and controls the brand name.
Wang already owns a stake in Spanish football club Atletico Madrid football club and Infront Sports & Media.
Asia's richest man, Wang Jianlin
The signature Ironman event is made up of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and 26.2-mile run (that's a full marathon).
After completing the spartan-like event, a lot of participants choose to tattoo the Ironman brand logo on their bodies.
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Wang already owns a stake in Spanish football club Atletico Madrid football club and Infront Sports & Media.
Once the World Triathlon acquisition is done, the Chinese billionaires’ company, Dalian Wanda Group, says it will be the "largest sports operating company in the world."
Wang recently surpassed Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing as Asia's richest man, according to a new ranking released last week by the Hurun Report. Wang is worth $42.6 billion, according to the report.
