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Tony Khan

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For the chef, see Tony Karim. For the broadcaster, see Tony Kahn.

Tony Khan
Khan in 2022
Born
Antony Rafiq Khan

(1982-10-10) October 10, 1982 (age 42)
Chambana, Illinois, U.S.
EducationUni High
Alma materUniversity of Illinois (B.S.)
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • Sports executive
  • Professional wrestling promoter
Years active2012–present
Known for
Parents
Part of a series on
Professional wrestling
History
Notable promotions
Notable men
Early 20th century

Mid 20th century

1970s

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2000s

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Notable women
Mid 20th century (1940 to 1974)

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Antony Rafiq Khan[1] (born October 10, 1982) is an American businessman, promoter, and sports executive. He is known for his involvement in American football, professional wrestling, and association football. He is best known as the founder and co-owner of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also holds the positions of president, chief executive, general manager, executive producer, and head of creative of the promotion.[2]

He is the son of businessman Shahid Khan, who is the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and Premier League club Fulham.[3] He holds executive roles at both organizations: with the Jaguars, he is chief football strategy officer and with Fulham, he is the vice-chairman and director of football operations. Other business ventures that Khan is involved in include TruMedia Networks, Activist Artists Management and Ring of Honor (ROH).

Early life

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Antony Rafiq Khan[1] was born on October 10, 1982, in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois,[4] to a Pakistani father, Shahid Khan and a White-American mother, Ann Carlson.[5] His father became a billionaire in the automotive industry, through his ownership of Flex-N-Gate, which supplied car bumpers. He also has a sister named Shanna. Tony graduated from the University Laboratory High School in 2001 and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance.[4]

Business ventures

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American football and soccer

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Jacksonville Jaguars

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Khan joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in July 2012,[6] following his father's purchase of the team, and currently serves as Senior President of Football and Analytics.[7][8] Khan's most prominent role within the Jaguars is scouting undrafted free agents;[9] a short 2024 NFL Films feature followed Khan handling both his scouting responsibilities during that year's NFL draft and his responsibilities overseeing a live broadcast of All Elite Wrestling's Collision, over the span of 24 hours.[10]

In April 2020, Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue referred to Khan as "spoiled", after a confrontation on Twitter.[11] In August 2020, Ngakoue was traded to the Minnesota Vikings.[12]

Fulham

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On February 22, 2017, Khan was named as vice-chairman and director of football operations of Fulham.[13] He oversees the identification, evaluation, recruitment, general maintenance and signing of players for Fulham.[3][14] Khan assumed these responsibilities following a period of advising the football operations at the club, particularly in the areas of analytics and research. Although Khan was not able to have an immediate effect (as it was after the January transfer window), Fulham only lost twice[15] and went on a run that saw them finish the season in sixth place,[16] where they were defeated in the play-off semi-final to Reading.[17]

Khan's first full season as vice-chairman, saw the breakout of youth product Ryan Sessegnon as well as the mid-season loan signing of Aleksandar Mitrović amongst the goals, as Fulham earned promotion to the Premier League by defeating Aston Villa in the play-off final, of which he was present.[18] In the 2018–19 season, Fulham brought in a number of expensive signings, headlined by the permanent signing of Mitrović from Newcastle United and Jean Michaël Seri from Nice.[19][20] By January 2019, Fulham were stuck in the relegation zone, despite having sacked Slaviša Jokanović and replacing him with Claudio Ranieri.[21] Around this time, Khan was criticised for telling a supporter of the club to "go to hell", although he claimed that this person had previously hounded him before.[22] After Ranieri's departure,[23] BBC Radio 5 Live pundits Ian Wright and Chris Sutton questioned Khan's capability in the job, with Wright even suggesting that Shahid Khan should sack his son.[24] Fulham ended the season in 19th place, resulting in the second relegation under Shahid Khan's ownership.[25]

In the 2019–20 season, caretaker manager Scott Parker was named manager on a permanent basis,[26] with the summer transfers consisting mostly of loan signings.[27] Fulham would end the season – which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic – in 4th place, once again earning promotion to the Premier League by defeating Brentford in the play-off final.[28] Unable to appear at the final, Khan made a FaceTime call to congratulate Fulham's players.[29] In the 2020–21 season, Fulham brought in a mix of loan and permanent signings, including Terence Kongolo and Harrison Reed who played for the club on loan the previous season.[30][31] In September 2020, Khan was called a "clown" by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher for tweeting critical comments of Fulham players, and described the transfer history of Khan as "a right mess".[32][33] Khan's comments angered Parker,[34] who described the situation as "the world we live in".[35] Fulham ended the season in 18th place, resulting in another relegation.[36] In the 2021–22 season, Marco Silva succeeded Parker as manager,[37] leading to Fulham topping the Championship.[38] Mitrović scored 43 goals, easily breaking the record set by Ivan Toney (in 2020–21),[39] as well as the record set by Guy Whittingham for the most scored in a 46-game season.[38] In an interview with The Athletic, Khan stated that he had convinced Mitrović to stay, despite interest from Dynamo Moscow and following a season in which he only scored three goals.[29] He was also optimistic that this would be the season that Fulham would no longer be perceived as a "yo-yo club".[29]

tony
Tony Khan speaking at an AEW show in December 2021

Professional wrestling

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All Elite Wrestling

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In January 2019, Tony Khan officially launched All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a professional wrestling promotion, after filing several trademarks in late 2018. A lifelong wrestling fan,[40][41][42] Khan founded the company with financial backing from his father, billionaire Shahid Khan, and serves as its President, CEO, General Manager, Executive Producer, and Head of Creative.[43][44][45] AEW’s first event, Double or Nothing, was held on May 25, 2019, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Khan has described his management style as highly involved, stating that he writes shows, outlines storylines, and approves all televised segments.[46] While AEW talent are generally given leeway in scripting their own promos, Khan retains final authority over creative decisions.[47][48]

While typically not a character on-screen, Khan occasionally appears in AEW programming to make real-life announcements.[49] In late April 2024, he appeared in a rare storyline segment on Dynamite, during which he was attacked by members of the villainous faction The Elite;[50] Khan continued to sell the effects of the attack during the NFL draft that week, whilst making media appearances in his capacity as a Jaguars official.[51]

Ring of Honor

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On March 2, 2022, Khan announced that he had acquired the professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) from Sinclair Broadcast Group. The acquisition included ROH’s video library, brand assets, and intellectual property.[52] The purchase was made through a separate corporate entity wholly owned by Khan, distinct from AEW.[53] He has since operated ROH as a standalone promotion, while indicating its potential use as a developmental platform for AEW talent.[54]

Reception

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Khan’s leadership of AEW has received both industry praise and criticism. He was awarded Promoter of the Year (2019–2022) and Best Booker (2020–2022) by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.[55] AEW personnel including Chris Jericho,[56] Jim Ross,[57] and Jon Moxley[58] have publicly supported his approach.

However, Khan has also faced criticism. In December 2021, he drew controversy for his response to former wrestler Big Swole’s comments on AEW’s diversity and structure, stating that her contract had expired because he “felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough.”[59] Industry figures such as Eric Bischoff and Dave Scherer have also criticized his management style,[60][61] with some questioning his handling of backstage issues and talent discipline.[62] His decision to terminate CM Punk's contract in 2023 following a backstage incident drew a divided response from fans and media outlets alike.[63][64][65][66]

Other business ventures

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Khan is the owner and chairman of TruMedia Networks,[67][68] a Boston-based engineering firm specializing in analytics for the athletic sports industry. Khan acquired TruMedia Networks in 2015, and under his ownership, the company has expanded its sports analytics engineering services, with clients including ESPN, the National Football League, Zebra Technologies, and over 60 percent of all Major League Baseball clubs.[69][70]

Along with TruMedia Networks, Khan and his family helped fund Activist Artists Management, a talent management and advisory firm founded in 2018.[71] Khan made a significant investment in the firm, and separately established the Activist content and venture fund focused on investments in media, entertainment, hospitality as well as consumer products, services, and technologies.[72]

Filmography

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Year Title Role
2021 Rhodes to the Top Himself
Executive producer
2023 AEW All Access Himself
Executive producer

Awards and accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Meet Tony Khan, son of richest Pakistani man, no match for Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani, his net worth is…". DNA India. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Currier, Joseph (January 1, 2019). "ALL ELITE WRESTLING AND DOUBLE OR NOTHING OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Tony Khan". Fulham F.C. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Tony Khan". MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  5. ^ Ganguli, Tania. "Shahid Khan has true rags to riches American story". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  6. ^ O'Halloran, Ryan (September 12, 2015). "Tony Khan, Shad's son, using passion for analytics, football to help build Jaguars". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  7. ^ Farrar, Doug (May 14, 2014). "Jacksonville Jaguars used scouting and stats in harmony during 2014 NFL draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  8. ^ Farmer, Sam (April 27, 2018). "As soon as NFL draft ends, it's a free-for-all in pursuit of undrafted players who could make a difference". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  9. ^ "Finding quality rookie free agents a labor of love for Tony Khan". ESPN.com. September 18, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
  10. ^ "Tony Khan To Be Featured On 'NFL Films Presents'". Yahoo Entertainment. September 18, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
  11. ^ Reid, John (April 20, 2020). "Jaguars' Tony Khan, DE Yannick Ngakoue get into Twitter feud". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Reid, John (August 30, 2020). "Jaguars trading Yannick Ngakoue to Vikings for two draft picks". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  13. ^ O'Halloran, Ryan (February 23, 2017). "Tony Khan to run Fulham operations, but remain in Jaguars' front office". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  14. ^ Rohan, Tim (October 4, 2017). "24 Hours With... Jaguars Owner Shad Khan". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  15. ^ "Fulham 1–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers". BBC Sport. March 18, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
    "Derby County 4–2 Fulham". BBC Sport. April 4, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  16. ^ "Sheffield Wednesday 1–2 Fulham". BBC Sport. May 7, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  17. ^ Williams, Adam (May 16, 2017). "Reading 1–0 Fulham". BBC Sport. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  18. ^ Cartwright, Phil (May 26, 2018). "Aston Villa 0–1 Fulham". BBC Sport. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  19. ^ "Fulham sign Aleksandar Mitrovic and close in on Swansea's Alfie Mawson". The Guardian. July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  20. ^ "Seri Signs". Fulham F.C. July 12, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  21. ^ "Fulham sack Slavisa Jokanovic and appoint Claudio Ranieri". BBC Sport. November 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  22. ^ "Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan tells fan to "go to hell" in Twitter exchange". The Guardian. January 12, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  23. ^ "Claudio Ranieri: Fulham sack manager with club 19th in Premier League". BBC Sport. February 28, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  24. ^ James, Sammy (March 13, 2019). "Points, Perspective and Protests". Fulhamish. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  25. ^ Bradshaw, Joe (April 2, 2019). "Watford 4–1 Fulham". BBC Sport. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  26. ^ "Scott Parker: Fulham appoint ex-captain as permanent manager". BBC Sport. May 10, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  27. ^ "Ivan Cavaleiro Signs". Fulham F.C. July 13, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
    "Anthonty Knockaert Signs". Fulham F.C. July 21, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
    "Arter Joins on Loan". Fulham F.C. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
    "Reed Arrives at Fulham". Fulham F.C. August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
    "DeCordova-Reid Joins Fulham". Fulham F.C. August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  28. ^ Stevens, Rob (August 4, 2020). "Brentford 1–2 Fulham (AET)". BBC Sport. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  29. ^ a b c Taylor, Daniel (May 3, 2022). "Tony Khan: 'I don't want Fulham to be a yo-yo club, I just want us to be a yo club'". The Athletic. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  30. ^ Pruce, Geoff (July 12, 2018). "Kongolo Signs". Fulham F.C. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  31. ^ "Harrison Reed Joins Permanently". Fulham F.C. August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  32. ^ Glendenning, Barry (September 29, 2020). "Fulham and the need to post criticism on Social Media Disgrace Twitter". The Guardian. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  33. ^ Malata, Chisanga (September 29, 2020). "Jamie Carragher's brutal put down of 'clown' Fulham chief after Aston Villa thrashing". Daily Mirror. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  34. ^ Storey, Daniel (October 2, 2020). "Fulham are making the same mistakes all over again and that's not even their greatest crime". i. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  35. ^ Ehantharajah, Vithushan (September 29, 2020). "Scott Parker burdened by Tony Khan as Fulham scramble to avoid embarrassment". The Independent. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  36. ^ Ouzia, Mailk (May 10, 2021). "Scott Parker 'gutted' after Fulham relegated: 'We've fallen short at this level - there's no denying it'". Evening Standard. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  37. ^ "Marco Silva: Fulham appoint former Everton and Watford boss as new head coach". BBC Sport. July 1, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Fulham 7–0 Luton Town". BBC Sport. May 4, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  39. ^ "Fulham 2–1 Peterborough United". BBC Sport. May 10, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  40. ^ Dator, James (January 9, 2019). "WWE is seeing its first major competition in 20 years, and they're worried". SBNation.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  41. ^ "Fulham owners Shad and Tony Khan announce launch of wrestling company". Metro. January 8, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  42. ^ "Tony Khan Confirmed As 'All Elite Wrestling' President; Cody Rhodes & Young Bucks' Roles Revealed". ProWrestling.com. January 2, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  43. ^ Joyner, KC (January 8, 2019). "Jaguars owners backing new wrestling venture". ESPN. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  44. ^ Nason, Josh (January 8, 2019). "Shad Khan confirmed as lead investor in All Elite Wrestling". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  45. ^ Currier, Joseph (January 1, 2019). "All Elite Wrestling and Double or Nothing officially announced". Won/F4W - Wwe News, Pro Wrestling News, Wwe Results, Aew News, Aew Results. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  46. ^ "Tony Khan addresses his creative role in AEW". Wrestling News | Wwe and Aew Results, Spoilers, Rumors & Scoops. May 3, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  47. ^ "Tony Khan Talks About AEW Talent Having Creative Freedom". Se Scoops | Wrestling News, Results & Interviews. May 1, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  48. ^ "The Young Bucks: Tony Khan Has Final Say On AEW Booking". Se Scoops | Wrestling News, Results & Interviews. November 26, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  49. ^ Quiles Jr., Fernando (February 7, 2024). "AEW News: Tony Khan Drops Colossal Announcement With Major Implications". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  50. ^ Black, Matt (April 24, 2024). "AEW Dynamite Results (4/24/24): Jon Moxley Defends Against Powerhouse Hobbs". Wrestlezone. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  51. ^ "Tony Khan Comments On Wearing A Neck Brace, His Controversial Remarks About WWE At NFL Draft". Yahoo Entertainment. April 30, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
  52. ^ Raimondi, Marc (March 2, 2022). "Tony Khan, AEW CEO and son of Jaguars owner, acquires wrestling promotion Ring of Honor". ESPN. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  53. ^ Tony Khan [@TonyKhan] (March 3, 2022). "Tonyt Khan Announcees Agreement to Acquire Ring of Honor" (Tweet). Retrieved August 14, 2022 – via Twitter.
  54. ^ Renner, Ethan (March 7, 2022). "AEW's Tony Khan plans to continue ROH wrestling operations". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  55. ^ a b c Meltzer, Dave. "March 1, 2021, Wrestling Observer Newsletter 2020 awards issue, Elimination Chamber". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  56. ^ "Chris Jericho On Differences Between Working For Tony Khan And Vince McMahon, Khan's Leadership Style In AEW". 411Mania.com. September 18, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2021. Tony is very driven and he's very passionate and he knows what he wants... He's not a pushover in any way shape or form. I think that's kind of a misconception for people 'Tony Khan is a money mark and he doesn't know anything.' He does know.
  57. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (December 26, 2020). "Jim Ross Praises Tony Khan For His Work Ethic And Enthusiasm, Compares AEW To The AFL". Fightful. Retrieved August 14, 2021. The rotor in the water is Tony Khan. He's the hardest working, most enthusiastic, educated wrestling fan I've ever encountered. His passion alone is one of the things that makes it fun to go to work because I've never worked for anybody quite like him. He is demonstratively enthusiastic. It's infectious.
  58. ^ Johnson, Mike (April 27, 2020). "AEW Champion Jon Moxley Discusses 'Cagefighter: Worlds Collide', His Health After a Year Going Hard in the Ring, His Empty Arena Brawl With Jake Hager, Behind the Scenes of Cagefighter's Ultimate Fight Scene, His Next Film Project, How He Approaches Wrestling vs. His Time in WWE, Roman Taking Time Off, Cagefighter's Premiere on fite.tv, Whether Renee Young Got Heat For His Cameo on WWE Backstage Online & More: Full Transcript". PWInsider.com. Retrieved August 14, 2021. I think he's a friend to most everybody in the roster, real easy and approachable, and not in a bad way... he's got a lot of business sense. He's business savvy, but also just an incredibly passionate wrestling fan.
  59. ^ "Big Swole Says Lack Of Diversity And Structure Led To Her Leaving AEW, Tony Khan Responds". Fightful. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  60. ^ Martinez, Sebastian (September 16, 2023). "Eric Bischoff, sobre Tony Khan: 'Escribe para un Tony Khan de 14 años que acude a los eventos de ECW'". Solowrestling.com (in Spanish). Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  61. ^ Scherer, Dave (November 20, 2023). "What Tony Khan Allowed To Happen At Full Gear Was Vile and Disgusting, And It Sure As Hell Wasn't Pro Wrestling in the Year 2023". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  62. ^ Scherer, Dave (June 16, 2023). "Tony Khan has a group of people who he has been good to doing their best to destroy the thing he loves". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  63. ^ Meltzer, Dave (September 3, 2023). "Daily Update: Tony Khan, All Out, Alex Hammerstone". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved September 4, 2023. I will give him a lot of credit for this because regardless of arguments about how the situation was handled for the past 18 months, he easily could have just let it ride this weekend since everyone knew Punk was suspended and waited until after the PPV show to announce the firing, and just did the short taped prepared statement for television.
  64. ^ Keller, Wade (September 3, 2023). "Keller's Take: In firing CM Punk, Tony Khan made the right move and did it in almost the right way". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  65. ^ Fels, Sam (September 3, 2023). "CM Punk and Tony Khan took a molehill and made it Three Mile Island". Deadspin. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  66. ^ Scherer, Dave (September 3, 2023). "Only Tony Khan Could Do The Right Thing And Four Hours Later Totally Destroy The Goodwill He Had Garnered - Trying To Make Sense of What Went Down With AEW and CM Punk Yesterday". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  67. ^ "Kendrick Lamar, Aly Raisman And Jake Paul Join Speaker Lineup For 2017 Forbes Under 30 Summit, October 1-4, Boston". Forbes. September 26, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  68. ^ Fisher, Eric (April 18, 2018). "Fox Sports Giving NFL "TNF" Equal Footing To Sunday Games". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  69. ^ "Our Story". TruMedia Networks. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  70. ^ Slaton, Zach (June 14, 2012). "Changing How We View the Game: ESPN's Stats & Information Group". Forbes. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  71. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (April 3, 2018). "Management Shake-Up: Two ROAR Founders Exit to Form New Company". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  72. ^ Newman, Melinda (April 3, 2018). "Roar Co-Founders Bernie Cahill And Greg Suess Exit to Form Activist Artists Management: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
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