TYCOONS, the super-rich and friends of prime ministers — the men who have invested in Plymouth Argyle turn out to be from the premier league of the business world.

The names of the 11 'high net worth individuals' who put cash into the firm Mastpoint, which has in turn loaned the football club a seven-figure sum as a second mortgage, have today been revealed; six are pictured below.

And the list is a stellar cast of powerful, wealthy and well-connected businessmen, including one of Britain's wealthiest men, two of ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair's 'gang of four' close friends, the bosses of major international companies and top bankers.

Collectively they are worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Plymouth Argyle and the club's executive director Keith Todd have declined to talk about the list.

In effect, many of the men are not directly linked to the club, but they put cash into Mastpoint, a company set up to hold the Argyle shares belonging to Mr Todd, chairman Sir Roy Gardner and others including US businessman Joe Plumeri.

Last week, The Herald revealed how Mastpoint was used as a 'mechanism' to raise cash when the club hit the financial rocks last season.

The firm was used to attract these 'long-term investors' and 'help finance a second mortgage' over Home Park, now owned by a property company.

Mr Todd said the arrangement, set up last December, was necessary because lending terms offered by banks were 'outrageous' and Mastpoint could obtain money more cheaply by borrowing from these men.

The investors include PR guru Roland Rudd, an ex-journalist who sold his public relations firm for £50million.

The Chelsea supporter was one of Tony Blair's 'gang of four' alongside another Mastpoint investor, Russell Chambers.

Dubbed 'Blair's favourite banker', he is the UK head of the Credit Suisse bank, where Sir Roy is a senior advisor.

Another Chelsea supporter, his father played football for Accrington Stanley and Blackpool.

Peter Wood is an insurance tycoon who runs Esure and was the founder of Direct Line and Sheilas' Wheels.

He was named as the 438th richest person in Britain last year with a £120million fortune: yet another Chelsea supporter.

Dr Eddie O'Connor is an engineering expert, who founded the firm Airtricity, later sold for £1.8billion.

Now he is chief executive of Mainstream Renewable Power, which is building a huge windfarm off the Yorkshire coast. Sir Roy sits on that firm's board.

Mastpoint investor Larry Hirst is chairman of computer giant IBM's Europe, Middle East and Africa division.

A former head of IBM in the UK, he started at the firm as a sales trainee in the 1970s.

Donald McGarva heads DHL's logistics operation across Japan, Korea and Philippines where he has masterminded major acquisitions and joint ventures.

Ex-telecoms engineer Rob Lucas is the managing partner of private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, which has just bought the massive Merlin Entertainments Group, owner of the London Eye, Legoland and Alton Towers.

Richard Metcalf is chief risk officer at Swiss UBS Investment Bank. He supports Newcastle United.

Bernard Taylor is co-vice- chairman of US bank Evercore Partners Inc, responsible for Europe. The business news organisation Forbes puts his annual income at US$9million.

Joe Plumeri is a US businessman, chair and CEO of insurance firm Willis Group Holdings, where Sir Roy is a director.

He invested £100,000 in Plymouth Argyle at the end of last year. Forbes says he earns US$10million a year.

David Rowe is chief executive of broadband company Easynet, where Mr Todd is chairman. A computer expert who worked in Japan, teaching English, he supports Argyle.