2 Billionaires Leading a Group to Buy Broncos: Report

Broncos

Getty Jose E. Feliciano speaks.

Two new names have emerged as potential owners of the Denver Broncos.

According to Sportico, José E. Feliciano and Behdad Eghbali are leading a group to bid on the team. This group includes Todd Boehly, who has previously been linked to the team, and Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter.

Feliciano and Eghbali are the founders of Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm in Santa Monica, CA. According to Clearlake’s website, the firm currently manages over $72 billion in assets.

Clearlake Capital recently made headlines, as the firm along with Boehly officially purchased Chelsea Football Club for $5.4 billion on May 30. Boehly and Clearlake will share joint control and equal governance in that deal.

However, their bid on the Broncos is expected to be structured in a different manner. First of all, Feliciano and Eghbali are expected to bid on the team personally, instead of through Clearlake Capital.

Feliciano has a net worth of $3.4 billion per Forbes. Eghbali also has a net worth of $3.4 billion per Forbes.

Secondly, Sportico reported that Felicano and Eghbali are leading the group, so Boehly could play a smaller role.

Boehly has ownership stakes in several professional sports teams. In addition to Chelsea, he owns stakes in the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Sparks.

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Roger Goodell Has Expressed a Desire for Diversity

Feliciano and Eghbali would add some diversity among NFL owners. Feliciano was born in Puerto Rico, while Eghbali was born in Iran.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has expressed his desire for the Broncos to have a diverse owner. Goodell previously spoke about that topic during a press conference in Los Angeles.

“We would love to see a diverse owner of the team. Whether that’s a person of color, or a female, or a Black man — we think that would be a really positive step for us. And something we’ve encouraged. And one of the reasons we’ve reached out to find candidates who can do that. The Broncos are selling the team, not the NFL. We would have approval rights. But I think we’ll be very clear, and we have already been clear with the Broncos that [diversity] is something we would seek to have in the ownership.”

At the moment, the NFL only has two minority owners with a controlling stake: Shad Khan of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kim Pegula of the Buffalo Bills.


A Quick Overview of the Potential Broncos Owners

Five ownership groups have been established as bidders for the Broncos. These groups are led by Rob Walton, Josh Harris, Mat and Justin Ishbia, Byron Allen, and Felicano and Eghbali.

Walton is the favorite, on paper, due to his massive $60.3 billion net worth.

The NFL does hold approval rights, and if diversity is prioritized, other groups could have an advantage over Walton. Allen or Felicano and Eghbali would become diverse majority owners, which is something the league is severely lacking. Meanwhile, Harris’s group includes NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

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