Joe Lewis, the 88-year-old British billionaire and former owner of Tottenham Hotspur football club, has been granted a presidential pardon by US President Donald Trump. Lewis, who pleaded guilty to insider trading in 2024, avoided prison as part of a deal with prosecutors. The charges stemmed from allegations that he shared confidential corporate information with his private pilots, friends, personal assistants, and romantic partners, resulting in millions of dollars in illicit profits. A White House official confirmed the pardon, stating that Lewis sought clemency to receive medical treatment and visit his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the US. Lewis had previously admitted to his wrongdoing, paid a $5 million fine, and did not contest extradition. In a statement, Lewis expressed relief, saying he looks forward to retirement and watching his family continue to build their businesses. A source close to the Lewis family expressed gratitude to Trump for the pardon. Lewis, founder of the Tavistock Group, was ranked 39th on the 2023 Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated net worth of over £5 billion ($6.4 billion). He was arrested in July 2023 on 16 counts of securities fraud and three counts of conspiracy, accused of exploiting his access to corporate boardrooms to pass insider information. Prosecutors alleged that his associates made millions through ‘sure thing’ stock market bets. In one instance, Lewis reportedly instructed a girlfriend to invest in a biotech company before the public release of clinical trial results, personally investing $700,000 from her account and netting a $849,000 profit. In 2024, Lewis pleaded guilty to conspiracy and two counts of securities fraud, receiving a $5 million fine and three years of probation. Lewis, who acquired Tottenham Hotspur in 2001 for £22 million ($32 million), transferred control of the club to a family trust in 2022, relinquishing ‘significant control’ over its operations.