U.S. President Donald Trump has granted a presidential pardon to Joe Lewis, the British billionaire who pleaded guilty last year to federal insider trading charges.
Lewis—whose family remains the controlling shareholder of Tottenham Hotspur—was indicted in 2023 for allegedly exploiting privileged access to corporate boardrooms and passing insider information to associates, romantic partners, pilots, and others over several years.
A White House official confirmed the pardon, noting:
“Mr. Lewis admitted he made a terrible mistake, did not fight extradition in the case, and paid a $5 million fine.”
The official added that the 88-year-old, now living in the Bahamas, requested the pardon so he could obtain medical treatment in the U.S. and visit his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Forbes estimates Lewis’ net worth at $6.9 billion.
In his own statement, Lewis expressed relief:
“I am pleased all of this is now behind me, and I can enjoy retirement and watch as my family and extended family continue to build our businesses…”
A family representative thanked President Trump, saying the Lewises were “extremely grateful” for the decision.
The pardon comes as Trump resumes issuing clemency grants following a brief pause intended to tighten the review process amid concerns over lobbying influence during his second term.
Earlier this week, Trump also pardoned Rudy Giuliani and 76 others tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, though those pardons were largely symbolic since none of the individuals had federal convictions. Last month, he commuted the sentence of former congressman George Santos, who had been sentenced to seven years for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
