For the first time since Mark Davis took over ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s becoming clearer who will run the team when he’s done. Silver Lake Managing Partner and its co-CEO Egon Durban continue to gain more equity in the franchise.
The NFL has also approved a plan that would allow Durban and his partners to have the first chance to buy the majority stake in the team once Davis walks away. At first, it seemed like this would be a slow process, but it could happen sooner than expected with how quickly Durban and Durban Discovery Land Company founder and chairman Michael Meldman are gaining more equity.
Since Davis is a legacy owner, he only needs 20% of the Raiders to be the controlling owner, so he hasn’t lost any power. However, with other investors gaining such a large stake in the team, Davis will have to take them into account before making any big moves.
At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Davis were starting to think about giving up his controlling interest. He has been running the team since 2011, and the franchise has been in a state of perpetual chaos. That said, Davis loves the Raiders and wants to see them finally build a winner. He’s still not planning to leave in the near future.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Davis said, per Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post. “I’m incredibly excited about the future, and I’ve got plenty of time and energy for this.”
Davis Has Faith in Ownership Partners
Davis hasn’t always been successful as an owner, but he’s very protective of the Raiders brand. If he didn’t trust Durban and the other investment groups, he wouldn’t be so eager to give them equity. He believes they’re going to help in a number of ways.
“They bring an incredible amount of infrastructure to this organization and expertise on so many different levels,” Davis said.
Duran specifically appears set to be the one running the Raiders in the future. Though he has been mostly in the shadows, fans are learning more about him. Davis thinks the fan base will grow to really appreciate him.
“Egon is somebody that I think will take the Raiders into the future, once I’m gone,” Davis said. “And I think Raider Nation is going to end up loving him when they get to know him and understand that he wants to win. … And that’s what it’s all about.”
Davis Thinks Raiders Are Headed in Right Direction
It’s easy to see why Davis doesn’t want to sell the Raiders yet. Brighter days seem to finally be ahead.
The team hired Klint Kubiak as head coach and used the No. 1 pick to select quarterback Fernando Mendoza. If those two are the real deal, they could be leading the franchise for over a decade.
Davis is really high on what the Raiders are building.
“I believe we’ve got the football side in the right direction along with the business side. Everybody is on the same page,” Davis said. “So right now, everything’s looking really good.”
Mark Davis Addresses Raiders Future Amid Speculation