When it comes to former footballers who go on to make enormous wealth after hanging up their boots, you tend to think of the likes of David Beckham and Robbie Fowler.
But sometimes it’s some of the more obscure names to have played the game who go on to be much more famous for their exploits in the business world.
That’s the case for former Tranmere Rovers trainee Tom Beahon, who never quite made the grade at Prenton Park but has gone on to become one of the richest men in the UK.
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Castore co-founders enter Sunday Times Rich List
That’s because alongside brother Phil, Beahon is the co-founder of Castore, the kit manufacturer that launched on the Wirral in 2015 and has gone on to establish itself as one of the most distinctive kit logos in the world.
Alongside a series of high-street shops, Castore are the current supplier for big-name clubs like Everton, Burnley, Rangers, Bayer Leverkusen, Athletic Club and Feyernoord.
Those deals, plus a shedload of partnerships in other sports, have led to the Beahon brothers entering the Sunday Times Rich List for the first time.
The long-running annual feature, first published in 1989, estimates the wealth of people who mainly live or work in the UK.
Indian-British tycoon Gopi Hinduja tops this year’s list with a net worth of £35.3bn – around a hundred times that of the Castore founders, who are valued at around £350m.
The Beahon brothers are also jointly named as the 14th-wealthiest people under 40 in the country.
Castore did run into some teething problems during their rapid expansion, particularly in 2023.
The company moved to apologise to Rangers fans that summer after complaints about the quality of some of their merchandise, while Aston Villa’s unintentional ‘wet look’ kits the same year led to Castore having to correct the issue. The midlands club nonetheless ended their contract and moved to adidas
