Dragan Šolak (businessman)
Dragan Šolak | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 19, 1964 Kragujevac, Serbia |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, media executive |
| Known for | Founder and principal shareholder of United Group; chairman of Sport Republic |
Dragan Šolak (born 19 July 1964) is a prominent Serbian entrepreneur and media executive, best known as the founder and principal shareholder of the United Group media conglomerate. Since its inception in 2000, United Group has developed into a dominant media entity throughout Southeast Europe. By December 2024, Šolak's estimated net worth positioned him as the second wealthiest individual in Serbia.
Early life and education
Šolak was born in Kragujevac in 1964 and later relocated to Belgrade for higher education but left university to focus on entrepreneurial ventures. In 1990, he established one of the pioneering production companies within Yugoslavia. Following a decade abroad working in intellectual property after the 1992 Bosnian war, he returned home to launch a cable television network in his native city in 2000, which eventually transformed into United Group by 2014.
United Group
United Group began as a modest cable provider in central Serbia and subsequently broadened its services to include broadband internet, mobile telephony, and television across eight countries in Southeast Europe. Šolak served as CEO for eight years before transitioning to chairman in 2008; as of 2022, he continues as an advisor and retains a 33% ownership stake.
Sport Republic
Šolak acts as the principal investor and chairman of investment company Sport Republic. In January 2022, Sport Republic purchased an 80% majority share of English football club Southampton from Chinese entrepreneur Gao Jisheng for approximately £100 million. After Southampton was relegated from the Premier League during Sport Republic’s first full season of ownership, Šolak admitted that the ownership group had been too detached and committed to more active engagement moving forward. In September 2022, he injected £48 million into the firm, followed by an additional £15 million in 2023, supporting ongoing operations and underscoring his dedication to the club.
In August 2022, Sport Republic acquired a controlling 70% interest in Turkish football club Göztepe, and in July 2023 became majority stakeholders of French club Valenciennes.
Following Henrik Kraft’s resignation as chairman on 14 January 2025, Šolak took over the position. In June 2025, he refuted speculation about selling Southampton, emphasizing his increasing commitment to the club’s future.
N1 expose pre-election political manoeuvring
On 13 May 2023, Slovenian news outlet N1info, part of United Media's portfolio, disclosed irregularities involving investigations conducted by the Slovenian Office for Money Laundering Prevention in December 2021 amid heightened political tensions before Slovenia’s 2022 parliamentary election. The report suggested that Damjan Žugelj, head of the office appointed by the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), launched an inquiry based on an anonymous tip under significant time constraints. This action was allegedly connected to a pre-election arrangement between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša aimed at gathering compromising information on political adversaries through anti-money laundering agencies. Janša denied any such pact, while Žugelj characterized N1info's allegations as politically motivated retaliation.
On 13 October 2023, the National Bureau of Investigation detained Žugelj along with associates on allegations of abuse of office related to unauthorized access to 224 bank accounts, reportedly including those linked to businessman Dragan Šolak.
External links
- Dragan Solak profile on united.group