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In Pictures: The Soccer Billionaires

When reclusive billionaire Mike Ashley bought struggling British soccer club Newcastle United in the summer of 2007, the team's fans hailed their new owner and his deep pockets as potential saviors.

Not anymore. Through Nov. 11, Newcastle is in 18th place in the standings, a spot which puts them in danger of relegation to a lower league. Club fans, called the Toon Army, are also furious with ownership because of the resignation of beloved manager Kevin Keegan.

Ashley, who had become a fixture in Newcastle's stands, is ready to return to the lifestyle that earned him the nickname of Britain's Howard Hughes. He says he can't take his kids to a game any longer out of fear they will be assaulted. After purchasing the club just over a year ago, he's looking to sell. "You want me out," says Ashley. "That is what I am now trying to do."

British papers have been thick with chatter of who could bid on the 116-year-old club. In those tabloids at least, Philip Anschutz emerged as a frontrunner this weekend. He's a Denver entertainment entrepreneur who ranked 36th on our Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans, and he already owns three other soccer teams.

Anschutz's sports holding company AEG (other-otc: AEGXY.PK - news - people ) denies any interest in the club, but don't be surprised if another billionaire might become the next Newcastle owner. The owner's box at soccer stadiums has transformed into a billionaire's club over the past decade.

Many of the men at the top of our rich lists have a pro soccer team on their long list of assets. Indian magnate Lakshmi Mittal and racing tycoon Bernie Ecclestone have a stake in the London's Queen's Park Rangers.

Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) co-founder Paul Allen is part owner of the new American Major League Soccer franchise Seattle Sounders. Luxury goods maven Francois Pinault doesn't just root for his favorite French side Stade Rennais; he also owns them.

Even a company with billionaire clients can't stay financed in these lean times. The Yellowstone Club, one of the most exclusive resorts in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy this week.

The resort filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday. Court documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal that Yellowstone owes an estimated $343 million to creditors.

The club's precarious financial position undermines its brand as a playground for the nation's wealthiest. The gated resort community occupies 13,400 acres in the Southwest corner of Montana and counts Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) billionaire Bill Gates among its members. Its Web site lists custom residencies available with prices ranging from $4.8 million to $16 million. Amenities include plenty of prime ski slopes and a golf course.

Yellowstone had taken big loans as part of an aggressive strategy to grow the club beyond the Rocky Mountains. It bought a golf resort in Scotland, a castle in France and estates in Mexico and the Caribbean in recent years. The club is now backing away from the plan and trying to sell some of those properties.

The club's financial troubles brewed as its founders fought. Husband and wife team Tim and Edra Blixseth started the Yellowstone Club in 1999. They agreed to divorce at the end of 2006.

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At first, their divorce was billed as an amicable parting in the Wall Street Journal. The paper reported that they sat down with a bottle of wine and a legal pad to divide up their assets.

The split quickly took a more familiar route: many lawyers and millions of dollars in fees. As part of a divorce settlement, Edra received husband Tim's 50% ownership in the club in August. (See "Edra Blixseth Gets The Yellowstone Club.")