Simone Foxman Bloomberg

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad JJ Al Thani didn't even have a Wikipedia entry until late Friday night, around an hour after he issued a press release announcing his multi-billion-pound bid for Manchester United.

The King of Beers is taking over Qatar. The signs started appearing early this year: At the Qatar Distribution Company a massive poster with Budweiser branding featuring Lionel Messi was plastered across the entrance.

As the Taliban closed in on Kabul and tens of thousands of people overwhelmed its airport, it was the small Gulf state of Qatar that first opened its doors to evacuees, fast establishing itself as the West's main line of communication.

When Tom Benson died last year at the age of 90, he left behind a sprawling empire that included two professional New Orleans sports teams and a group of car dealerships. Unfortunately for him, he spent some of the last years of his life squabbling with heirs over who would get what.

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad JJ Al Thani didn't even have a Wikipedia entry until late Friday night, around an hour after he issued a press release announcing his multi-billion-pound bid for Manchester United.

The King of Beers is taking over Qatar. The signs started appearing early this year: At the Qatar Distribution Company a massive poster with Budweiser branding featuring Lionel Messi was plastered across the entrance.

As the Taliban closed in on Kabul and tens of thousands of people overwhelmed its airport, it was the small Gulf state of Qatar that first opened its doors to evacuees, fast establishing itself as the West's main line of communication.

When Tom Benson died last year at the age of 90, he left behind a sprawling empire that included two professional New Orleans sports teams and a group of car dealerships. Unfortunately for him, he spent some of the last years of his life squabbling with heirs over who would get what.