Billionaire brothers who ‘invented Facebook’ pay £3.5m to be owners of Non-League football team

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who claim to have come up with the idea for Facebook and have made billions in cryptocurrency, have become co-owners of eighth-tier side Real Bedford

Non-League side Real Bedford have received £3.5million in investment from billionaire twins who believe they can get the club to the Premier League.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss have finalised their deal, which was first proposed back in April 2024, to become co-owners of the club. The brothers made their money as early investors in Bitcoin, while they also founded a crypto exchange called Gemini.

However, they are best known for their involvement in Facebook, having accused Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea for the social network while they were studying together at Havard. After a lawsuit, which formed the basis of the 2010 film The Social Network, the brothers settled for $20m (£16m) in cash and shares in the company.

The Winklevoss brothers have got involved in eighth-tier side Bedford through their connection with Bitcoin podcaster Peter McCormack, who bought Real Bedford in January 2022. McCormack changed the team’s name from Bedford FC to Real Bedford – and the club are now in talks with seventh-tier side Bedford Town over a merger.

“The fact the Winklevoss twins are now co-owners is massive,” McCormack told the BBC. “They want to be involved in the running of the club and I will do the day-to-day business but we will be speaking regularly. This investment is huge for the town of Bedford. The money will be used to help the club pursue its league ambitions.”

The Winklevoss twins are worth $2.7bn (£2.14bn) each, according to Forbes. They both donated $1m each last year to help Donald Trump get elected for a second term as the President of the United States, believing him to be the “pro-Bitcoin, pro-crypto, and pro-business choice”.

They were ordered to repay more than $1bn (£800m) to customers and pay a large fine for unsafe practices after their high-interest earning programme, Gemini Earn, collapsed in 2022.

“We share in Peter’s deep conviction in Bitcoin and its ability to supercharge RBFC’s quest to make it into the Premier League,” Tyler said in April 2024. Cameron added: “We’re not just investing in a football club. We’re investing in a dream to bring Premier League football to Bedford.”

Real Bedford currently sit three points clear at the top of the Southern League Central Division One, having won 21 of their 27 games so far this season.

The Winklevoss twins and McCormack are not the only crypto bros to get involved in English football in recent years. Crawley Town were taken over by US crypto firm WAGMI United in April 2022 in a move which saw Preston Johnson and Eben Smith become co-chairmen.

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