Photo: Sebleouf / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on March 22, 1949 in L'Arbresle, Rhône, France, Jean-Michel Aulas is a sports executive, entrepreneur and businessperson. Jean-Michel Aulas is 77 years old as of 2026. Schooling on record includes University of Lyon. Awards on record include Knight of the National Order of Merit (1986), Knight of the Legion of Honour (2006), Officer of the National Order of Merit (2012) and 2 more.
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.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
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)
- Origin
- L'Arbresle, Rhône, France
- Occupation
- sports executive / entrepreneur / businessperson / association football executive
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Ox
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
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Jean-Michel Aulas born?
Jean-Michel Aulas was born on March 22, 1949 and is 77 years old.
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.
Where did Jean-Michel Aulas study?
Jean-Michel Aulas attended University of Lyon.
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