‘Make Juventus great again’ – What’s behind the €1.1bn offer to buy the club

The Agnelli family is unwilling to sell Juventus despite a €1.1 billion offer from minority shareholders Tether, so we take a closer look at the blockchain-enabled platform and its CEO, Paolo Ardoino.

Tether announced an offer to buy a majority stake in Juventus from Exor on Friday night, but received a firm reply from the Bianconeri owners: “Negotiations are not underway regarding the sale of a stake in Juventus,” a spokesperson for the Agnelli family told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Founded in 2014, the Tether cryptocurrency has grown massively over the last few years and its CEO, Paolo Ardoino, is a life-long Juventus supporter. Tether already holds an 11,52% stake in Juventus and is represented in the Juventus board of directors by Francesco Garino.

As reported by Gazzetta, the main difference between Tether and other popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, is its lower volatility.

Un post condiviso da Tether Operations Limited (@_tether_)

Tether’s value is pegged to the US dollar, and its users appreciate it for its stability rather than the hope of profiting from market speculations.

Gazzetta explains that Tether has ‘built its success on its effectiveness in supporting international transactions without the involvement and costs of various intermediaries, such as banks.’

The company is headquartered in El Salvador and reported profits exceeding €13 billion in 2024. Tether’s core focus lies in cryptocurrencies, blockchains and technological innovation, including artificial intelligence.

As previously mentioned, its CEO, Paolo Ardoino, is a life-long Juventus supporter who has become increasingly popular among Bianconeri supporters on social media, especially X, thanks to his motto ‘Make Juventus great again.’

🦓🦓🦓

— Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) December 12, 2025

Gazzetta notes that the relationship between Tether and Exor has never been particularly solid. At times, Ardoino’s social media activity aimed to look for a collaboration with Exor, but other times, the Tether CEO has criticised the club and the team.

The abrupt public bid is unlikely to strengthen relations between the two sides, particularly given that Exor had already indicated, before Tether’s proposal, that it had no intention of selling the club in response to rumours of a potential offer from a Saudi investor.

This past November, Juventus owner John Elkann said: “We remain fully committed to Juventus and are proud to be its controlling shareholder for over a century. We are and have always been open to constructive ideas from all stakeholders who share our ambition and passion for the club.”