The epic duel between James Bond and Auric Goldfinger is still one of the fiercest golf games in cinematic history. Even Fifty years later, the layout of that golf green in Stoke Park has not changed at all. But soon, its corporate ownership might be possible. The historic site - the most important part of Britain's blue blood - is expected to see Indian reconstruction as Mukesh Ambani, one of the richest billionaires in the world, plans to take a look at this luxury uber spa, hotel, golf course and country club spread over 300 acres in Buckinghamshire, as its new owner, said people were aware of the matter. Reliance Industries, through a global arm, is finalizing the acquisition of Stoke Park, Britain's first County Club, from International Group (IG), owned by the King family, a UK second-generation family business, approximately 60 million pounds (Rs. 600 cr).
"Negotiations have been going on for some time, and the signing has finally taken place," said a person who knew but did not want to be identified. “At this price, Reliance was stolen. The golf club attracts jet setters from business, movies, politics and royalty. It is the property of the trophy to own.” After Singapore and Dubai, the UK and especially London has become the preferred destination for many heeled Indians like Sunil Mittal, the Hinduja family, Lakhshmi Mittal, Analjit Singh, Anil Agarwal, Ajay Piramal and many more. Even the Ambani family spent the summer of 2020 at Heckfield Place, a famous Georgian family home in Hampshire, restored to its former glory and moving to a more than 400 acres luxury hotel, with family and friends. The King family has been seeking to sell the 49-bedroom marque property over the past several years, and has also authorized CBRE in 2018 to bring the property to the market, as it has tested the possibility of a sale in the past two years.
According to some UK reports, Stoke Park is likely to fetch around £75 million at that time, while an unplanned four luxury villas and apartments on the edge of the estate, with a planning permit, could raise £10 to £15 million. In 2016 the Daily Mail reported that Donald Trump was interested in buying the estate. “The Ambanis are a global business family and the UK is the preferred destination. This may be used by the corporate entity only.”
Originally designed by Capability Brown and Humphry Repton, it was originally built as a private home by George III’s architect James Wyatt between 1790 and 1813. Since then, it has become a popular movie location - Tomorrow Never Dies, Layer Cake, Bridget Jones Diary and the celebrity concert venue, where Elton John performed outdoor in 2014, for a charity SportsAid concert, hosted by the Duchess of Cambridge, and raised $1.24 million. It also hosts the annual Boodles Tennis Championships as a warm-up to Wimbledon, the week before the Tournament.
The King’s family is currently dominated by brothers Hertford (54), Witney (53), and Chester (49) after their father Roger King, a maverick dealmaker, who set it up in the UK in 1964. After starting out as a jeweler, he went on to become a global distributor of polished diamonds in the Soviet Union. Following his approach to Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal family, due to architectural deals, the King expanded into Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia hospitals in the late 1970s.
The International Hospitals Group (IHG) has since then completed more than 450 projects in 49 countries around the world for private and public sector clients, including 22 national governments, the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Today IG is distributed across six business lines, including E Sports, healthcare and wellness, clubs, luxury brand product development among others. Stoke Park is their crown jewel. Reliance has opened its wings in the UK. Reliance Brands, a subsidiary of RIL, acquired 270-year-old British toy retailer Hamleys for Rs 620 crore (GBP 67.96 million), in a total deal in 2019-20. It also has JVs with leading UK companies such as Marks and Spencer and BP.