Key facts
- Arjun Nagarkatti heads the private bank's coverage of the new sports finance unit.
- The unit initially targets the English Premier League and finances across the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL.
- Nagarkatti said the bank has worked with sports-owning clients for 10 to 15 years.
- Nagarkatti said family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals are taking a more institutional approach to buying teams.
Deutsche Bank's private bank has created a specialist sports finance business, led by Arjun Nagarkatti, head of the private bank for the US and Europe international business, WealthBriefing reported on March 9, 2026. The unit focuses on Europe and the US, and the bank appointed Sowmya Kotha in London and Joshua Frank in New York, both reporting to Adam Russ, head of wealth management and business lending.
Nagarkatti told WealthBriefing at the bank's London offices that sports is becoming more of a legitimate asset class. "Sport can be a local passion project. However, it is becoming more of a legitimate asset class. Even a non-sports person should look at sports," he said, adding that "these are big businesses and a lot of people still don't know how big they are."
He said family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals are taking a more institutional approach to buying and selling teams, and that the bank has worked with sports-owning clients for 10 to 15 years. Deutsche Bank is initially concentrating on the English Premier League, and its US franchise has led to financing across the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, the report said.
Nagarkatti said the expanded sports capability is "significant for the bank" and "a core focus for us." The report cited INEOS founder Jim Ratcliffe's 27.7% stake in Manchester United as an example of a cross-border owner whose public profile rose after buying into a club.