Photo: Sebleouf / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jean-Michel Aulas strikes me as a rare breed: a tech entrepreneur who genuinely understood football as a business long before it became fashionable. Founding Cegid was impressive enough, but transforming Lyon into a French powerhouse from 1987 onward showed a vision that blended passion with hard commercial discipline. What I respect most is that he built rather than merely bought success, and the cascade of honours, from Knight to Commander of the National Order of Merit, reflects how seriously France took his contribution. Selling to John Textor closed a long chapter, but I'll remember Aulas as a club-builder, not just an owner.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jean-Michel Aulas
- Name (Japanese)
- ジャン・ミシェル・オラス
- Reading
- じゃん・みしぇる・おらす
- Born
- March 22, 1949 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Ox
- Origin
- L'Arbresle, Rhône, France
- Occupation
- sports executive / entrepreneur / businessperson / association football executive
2. Background
- University
- University of Lyon
Awards & achievements
- 1986 Knight of the National Order of Merit
- 2006 Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 2012 Officer of the National Order of Merit
- 2016 Officer of the Legion of Honour
- 2022 Commander of the National Order of Merit
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jean-Michel Aulas born?
Born March 22, 1949 (age 77).
Where is Jean-Michel Aulas from?
Jean-Michel Aulas is from L'Arbresle, Rhône, France.
What does Jean-Michel Aulas do?
Jean-Michel Aulas works as sports executive, entrepreneur, businessperson, association football executive.
Sports executive — see all → · Entrepreneur — see all → · More people from France →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.