Who Is Kia Joorabchian? The Man Behind Amo Racing Who Spent Millions At The Sales

Kia Joorabchian has been hitting the headlines of late after the Amo Racing front man has been splashing the cash at the Tattersalls Sales in October – in a bid to bolster his horse racing team ready for 2025.

But just who is Kia Joorabchian and why is he taking on the likes of Ballydoyle and Godolphin in the world of high-end throughbred horse racing?

Who Is Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian?

Kia Joorabchian is a football agent and advisor that is the figurehead of Amo Racing – who have in recent years made a name for themselves in flat racing around the world with their purple and white racing silks – which even figure a silhouette of a footballer kicking a ball.

Last year Frankie Dettori steered home King Of Steel – a win that banked Joorabchian a cool £737,230.

The horse went onto finish 5th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, behind the 2023 Epsom Derby winner Auguste Rodin, but has since suffered a few setbacks and hasn’t raced in 2024

Being a colt there are now strong rumours of King Of Steel heading off to stud to try and produce Kia Joorabchian with some more big race winners.

However, in the meantime it seems Kia Joorabchian can’t wait that long for King Of Steel to produce some offspring as the Iranian-born businessman has been splashing the cash at the Tattersalls Sales – spending over 15 million Guineas in a bid to strengthen his Amo Racing squad for the 2025 season.

 

Kia Joorabchian Spent Over 15 Million Guineas At The Tattersalls Sales

At the Tattersalls Sales in October 2024, despite the big hitters of Godolphin and Ballydoyle buying plenty, it was Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian that grabbed most of the headlines.

He was seen in person at the sales going ‘toe-to-toe’ with Sheikh Mohammed, Derek Smith, John Magnier and Michael Tabor – coming out top several times.

Just the 19.5 million guineas spent this week by Amo Racing! 😲 pic.twitter.com/kta5m261dx

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 10, 2024

 

These buys consisted of a 4.4m gns yearling filly by the unbeaten Frankel – which was the second highest lot ever sold at Tattersalls October.

Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott made the winning bid for Kia Joorabchian – outbidding Mitsu Nakauchida – saying after the sale.

“Phew! Kia and partners wanted the filly very badly – a Frankel filly from that family and with that physical, she was always going to be a collectors’ item.

“It is a deep price tag and, though we had discussed her at length, obviously I did not see her making that – but we had very much honed in on her.

“But she is part of Team Amo now… wow! She is a spectacular filly, it is a spectacular price, a spectacular bunch of horses here. I’d like to say I was a cool customer when all that was taking place, but that would be a fib – I have never been in that rarified atmosphere before.”

This Frankel filly will head off to Arc-winning trainer Ralph Beckett, when all eyes will be on her next season when she makes her debut.

Joorabchian Also Lands Full Sister To Arc Winner Alpinista

Kia Joorabchian also acquired a full sister to the 2022 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista for 2.5m gns. She’ll be trained by Sir Mark Prescott, who handled her sister.

Joorabchian added “We need strong pedigreed fillies, and we have a lot of horses going to stud in the next year, such as Buccanero and King Of Steel, it will be this year or next year we will have to make a decision soon., and we have Persian Force already at stud.

“We need to back them, otherwise we are just going to get left behind – we have to back our stallions to have a chance of winning.

“It is very difficult to buy such mares because the likes of Juddmonte, Coolmores, Shadwells, all the big guys own all the big mares. So we have to come out here and hope that what we are buying in of pedigrees, will make us competitive.”

Kia and Max Joorabchian reflect on #TattsOctober Book 1.@amoracingltd's buys highlighted by the 4.4m gns Frankel filly heading to @RalphBeckett and the 4.3m gns Wootton Bassett colt going to @karl_burke.

"We had the plan that this is the week that we need to make a change." pic.twitter.com/nGxvG2W0jQ

— Tattersalls (@Tattersalls1766) October 10, 2024

 

How Did Kia Joorabchian Make His Money?

Kia Joorabchian (Kiavash) was born in Iran, but British and Canadian educated, who has made the bulk of his money as a football advisor – despite not actually being a licenced agent.

He showcases his business as a football player advisor, explaining the rights to both players and clubs on transfers and contracts.

Joorabchian has also been responsible in ‘third-party’ ownership of players and is reported to have interests in up to 70 players over South America and Europe.

It was in 2004 that Joorabchian founded Media Sports Investments in partnership with leading Brazilian football club Corinthians and was initially guided by Pele’s old agent Pini Zahavi, who was dubbed a ‘super-agent’.

Some high profile players that came under Joorabchian’s stewardship at this time were former Manchester United man Carlos Tevez and Liverpool midfielders Javier Mascherano and Philippe Coutinho (pictured below).

During Kia Joorabchian’s association with Carlos Tevez, he also became wrangled in the famous legal dispute between the player and West Ham United, which related to alleged outstanding payments of £4.5m and £2.5m.

Other big players that Kia Joorabchian has said to have been involved in were Kaka, when trying to get the former AC Milan man to Man City in 2009.

While he was also rumoured to be linked to another Brazilian and Man City – Robinho, when he switched to the Manchester side in 2008.

Kia Joorabchian has also had links with clubs – Newcastle United, Everton and Reading over the years – as a team advisor.

What Is The Kia Joorabchian Net Worth?

Due to historically links with some of the best footballers in the world, it’s reported that the Kia Joorabchian net worth stands at approx. $85million – which is why the Amo Racing man is able to compete at the top sales and buy some of the best yearlings on the market.

Kia Joorabchian And Amo Racing Have Gone Close In The Epsom Derby Before

In of horse racing, with the decent mega-bucks buys that Kia Joorabchian has made, then he’ll be looking to compete in all the best races around the world in 2025.

However, he’s also made no secret that the Epsom Derby, run in early June, is a race he’ll love to win – and he’s come close in the past.

In 2021 his Mojo Star finished second and then in 2023 he had another runner-up in the big English Classic – this time with King Of Steel.

During the 2023 horse racing season Amo Racing had 58 domestic winners and other big horses that have flown their flag have been 2022 July Stakes winner Persian Force and Bucanero Fuerte – who will always have the accolade as being Amo Racing’s first Group One winner after taking the 2023 Phoenix Stakes – beating the classy Portuna Fortuna by an impressive 4 lengths (watch below).

Kia Joorabchian No Stranger To Making Controversial Decisions For Amo Racing

Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian has also hit the headlines during his time in horse racing for not taking any prisoners.

He’s not been afraid to move horses from stables and most-famously switched all of his horses away from Roger Varian, who trained King Of Steel, in May 2024.

While in 2023 he also sacked his then number one stable jockey Kevin Stott after being critical on his ride in the Irish Champion Stakes, when 4th.

Joorabchian then replaced Stott with Frankie Dettori in the horse’s next race in the British Champion Stakes and they won.