American billionaire businessman ( hold 1947 )

Enos Stanley Kroenke ( ; born July 29, 1947 ) is an american billionaire businessman. He is the owner of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which is the holding company of Arsenal F.C. of the Premier League and Arsenal W.F.C. of the WSL, the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League, the Los Angeles Gladiators of the Overwatch League, and the newly formed Los Angeles Guerrillas of the Call of Duty League.

Reading: Stan Kroenke

The Nuggets and Avalanche franchises are held in the identify of his wife, Ann Walton Kroenke, to satisfy NFL possession restrictions that forbid a team owner from having teams in other markets. [ 4 ] Ann is the daughter of Walmart co-founder James “ Bud ” Walton. Kroenke was estimated to be worth US $ 10 billion by Forbes in 2020. Kroenke ‘s holding caller for sports teams has been controversial. In 2016, he relocated the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles, turning the team into the Los Angeles Rams. In 2021, Kroenke was involved in an abort feat to end the traditional european football system by creating a closed european Super League which would have included Arsenal and respective other teams .

early life and education

Kroenke grew up in Mora, Missouri, an unincorporated community with a population of approximately two twelve, where his father owned Mora Lumber Company. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] His first speculate was sweeping the floor at his father ‘s lumber yard. By age 10 he was keeping the caller ‘s books. At Cole Camp ( Missouri ) High School, he played baseball, basketball and ran track. [ 7 ]

business career

real estate of the realm

Kroenke married Ann Walton, a Walmart heiress, in 1974. He founded the Kroenke Group in 1983, a real estate exploitation firm that has built patronize centers and apartment buildings. He has developed many of his plaza near Walmart stores. [ 6 ] He is besides the president of THF Realty, an independent real estate of the realm development party that specializes in suburban development. He founded this pot in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1991. In 2016, THF ‘s portfolio was valued at more than $ 2 billion, including more than 100 projects totaling 20 million feather feet, chiefly in retail shopping centers. [ 8 ]

other ventures

In 2006, Kroenke, in partnership with the money director Charles Banks, acquired Screaming Eagle, a winery in Napa Valley. In April 2009, Banks stated he was no longer personally involved with Screaming Eagle. [ 9 ] Kroenke is a major owner of working ranches, owning a full of 848,631 acres. The Land Report magazine ranked him as the United States ‘ ninth-largest landowner in 2015. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] Among noteworthy purchases is his February 2016 skill of the celebrated Waggoner Ranch in Texas, the largest ranch within one fenceline. [ 12 ] In August 2017, he came under fuel for launching a british outdoor sports television distribution channel that will show regular hunting programmes that includes killing elephants, lions, and other vulnerable african species. [ 13 ]

professional sports

Kroenke Sports and Entertainment

Founded in 1999, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment owns Ball Arena in Denver, home of the Nuggets and Avalanche, and co-owns Dick ‘s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, base of the Rapids. Both venues were built by his development company. In 2004, Kroenke launched his own rival to FSN Rocky Mountain ( immediately known as AT & T SportsNet Rocky Mountain ), Altitude, a new regional sports net which became the official broadcaster for both of Kroenke ‘s teams on launch. Kroenke besides established TicketHorse, a slate party that provides in-house sales for all of his teams .

Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche

In 2000, Kroenke became broad owner of both the National Basketball Association ‘s Denver Nuggets and the National Hockey League ‘s Colorado Avalanche, purchasing the teams from Charlie Lyons ‘s Ascent Entertainment Group .

Colorado Crush

In 2002, Kroenke partnered with Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and erstwhile Bronco quarterback John Elway to become part-owner of the Arena Football League ‘s Colorado Crush .

Colorado Mammoth and Colorado Rapids

Kroenke continued to grow his sports conglomerate in 2004 when he purchased the National Lacrosse League ‘s Colorado Mammoth and Major League Soccer ‘s Colorado Rapids from Phil Anschutz .

St. Louis Rams

On April 13, 1995, Stan Kroenke helped Georgia Frontiere move the National Football League ‘s Los Angeles Rams from Anaheim to St. Louis by purchasing a 30 % plowshare of the team. [ 14 ] In 2010, Kroenke exercised his correct of first refusal to purchase the remaining interest in the Rams from the estate of the realm of former owner Georgia Frontiere. [ 15 ] On August 25, 2010, he became fully owner of the Rams by solid accept of the NFL. To gain blessing from NFL owners, Kroenke agreed to turn over control condition of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche to his son, Josh, by the goal of 2010, and he had to give up his majority interest in both teams in December 2014. The NFL does not allow its owners to hold majority restraint of major league teams in other NFL markets. [ 16 ] On October 7, 2015, the NFL approved transfer of his ownership impale of the Avalanche and Nuggets to his wife, Ann Walton Kroenke. [ 17 ]

stadium issues

In April 2010, as he was trying to gain full ownership of the team, and know of an escape article in the Rams lease at the Edward Jones Dome, Stan Kroenke said : “ I ‘m going to attempt to do everything that I can to keep the Rams in St. Louis. ” [ 18 ] In February 2013, the Rams and the City of St. Louis went to arbitration over a clause in the Rams ‘ lease that stated the Rams current stadium must be in the top tier of NFL stadiums. The arbitrators agreed with the Rams, giving the Rams the ability to break their original lease and assume a year-to-year rent agreement. [ 19 ] Saying that he was will to work with Missouri officials and to give the governor a “ complete reason ” of the stadium situation, on November 30, 2015, Stan Kroenke met with Missouri Governor Jay Nixon at Rams Park in Earth City, Missouri. [ 20 ]

Los Angeles Rams

St. Louis Rams resettlement to Los Angeles

On January 5, 2015, it was announced that the Kroenke Group was teaming up with Stockbridge Capital Group to build a 70,000-seat NFL stadium and venue in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, threatening the Rams ‘ future in St. Louis. In response, St. Louis countered with National Car Rental Field, a proposed alfresco stadium in the north riverfront in business district St. Louis with the promise of the Rams bide in St. Louis. [ 21 ] At the NFL resettlement presentation, Kroenke stated that St. Louis was no longer a feasible market for the NFL, and was best served by only two teams. Kroenke besides questioned the fiscal future of the team. [ 22 ] NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the St. Louis fund did not meet the criteria set by the NFL. [ 23 ] St. Louis officials countered that Kroenke was misrepresenting the city and defended that St. Louis was being misrepresented at the owners ‘ meetings. [ 24 ] The Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers had besides been infelicitous with their old stadiums ( Oakland Coliseum in Oakland and Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, respectively ) lacking update amenities, and had been proposing a stadium in Carson, California ( another suburb of Los Angeles ) in competition with Kroenke ‘s Inglewood marriage proposal. On January 4, 2016, all three teams applied for move to Los Angeles for the 2016 NFL season. [ 25 ] The succeed day, the Rams and Stan Kroenke released their marriage proposal for move. Some of the Rams ‘ conclusions were disputed by the Mayor of St. Louis Francis Slay ( in a letter to Roger Goodell ), [ 26 ] the St. Louis Regional Chamber, [ 27 ] and Forbes. [ 28 ] however, some said that staying in St. Louis was ultimately a bad deal for the city and the city is better off with them leaving. [ 29 ] On January 12, 2016, the NFL approved the Rams ‘ application to relocate from St. Louis back to Los Angeles with a 30–2 right to vote and Kroenke was praised by other NFL owners afterwards. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] In 2017, the Chargers announced that they would move to Los Angeles for the 2017 season, with the purpose of initially playing games in Carson, but then moving into Kroenke ‘s Inglewood Stadium, pending completion. The Raiders subsequently announced a move to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Read more: S.S. Lazio

On April 12, 2017 it was reported that the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority filed a 52-page lawsuit against the NFL and all 32 NFL clubs as defendants ( including Stan Kroenke ) and seeks damages and restitution of profits. [ 32 ] On July 12, 2017, the Los Angeles Rams filed three motions seek to : dismiss the case for failure to state a title, dismiss the case for lack of personal legal power, and appeal to have the sheath determined through arbitration rather than in front man of a St. Louis based jury. The motions in the case will be decided upon by Judge Christopher McGraugh. On April 20, 2020, the Supreme Court denied Kroenke and the NFL ‘s appeal of the lawsuit. [ 33 ] On November 24, 2021, after four years of litigation, it was announced that the NFL, Kroenke, and the diverse St. Louis parties had agreed to a $ 790 million dollar settlement to end the lawsuit. [ 34 ]

arsenal

Kroenke is the owner of Arsenal Holdings plc which owns association football clubs Arsenal F.C. of the Premier League and Arsenal W.F.C. of the WSL. Arsenal already had a technical foul link-up with Kroenke ‘s Colorado Rapids when in April 2007 Granada Ventures, a subordinate of ITV plc, sold its 9.9 % stake in Arsenal Holdings plc to Kroenke ‘s KSE UK iraqi national congress. [ 35 ] Kroenke went on to buy farther shares in the baseball club, taking his entire post up to 12.19 %. [ 36 ] The club ‘s circuit board initially expressed agnosticism that a bid would be in its best interests, [ 37 ] but gradually warmed to him as separate of counteracting Alisher Usmanov ‘s rival invite for the club. By June 2008, the board had prepared to let Kroenke take over, [ 38 ] and on September 19, 2008, it was formally announced that Kroenke had joined the display panel of directors. [ 39 ] Kroenke had a beneficial interest in, and controlled vote rights, over 18,594 shares, representing 29.9 % of the issue shares. Nearing the maximum 29.99 % threshold, beyond which an offer for all remaining shares would be forced to be made. [ 40 ] On April 10, 2011, it was reported that Kroenke was in advanced talks to complete the coup d’etat. [ 41 ] [ 42 ] The stick to day, it was announced that he increased his shareholding to 62.89 % by purchasing the stakes of Danny Fiszman and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, and agreed to make an extend for the rest of the baseball club at £11,750 per partake, valuing the clubhouse at £731M. In August 2018, he made an put up that was accepted of around £600m valuing the entire shareholding at £1.8bn, to Alisher Usmanov, to bring his ownership of shares beyond 90 % and forcing the compulsory purchase of the remaining shares. [ 43 ] In April 2021, Arsenal were announced as a establish extremity of the European Super League, which would have effectively ended the pyramid organization of european football and placed Arsenal in a conclude league without prospects for meritocratic relegation and promotion. Arsenal and the five other english clubs involved backed out within two days after a strong backlash. After the abort attack to end the European football system, Arsenal protested and called for the Kroenke kin to sell the club. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ] [ 47 ] The Kroenke family released a statement saying they would not sell the club. [ 48 ]

Los Angeles Gladiators

In deep 2017, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment developed a new esports team franchise named the Los Angeles Gladiators in the newly founded Overwatch League ; their inaugural address temper began on December 6. [ 49 ] [ 50 ]

Los Angeles Guerrillas

In 2019, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment developed their second esports team. They founded the Los Angeles Guerrillas of the Call of Duty League. They, along with the Los Angeles Gladiators of the Overwatch League, are based out of Hollywood Park next doorway to where Kroenke ‘s Rams play. [ 51 ]

personal life

On a ski travel to Aspen, Colorado, Kroenke met his future wife, Ann Walton, a Walmart heiress. They married in 1974. [ 6 ] Already wealthy from very estate of the realm, he became flush wealthier when he and Ann inherited a interest in Walmart upon the 1995 death of her beget, James “ Bud ” Walton. As of September 2015, that interest was deserving $ 4.8 billion. [ 52 ] He is of german descent and was raised Lutheran. [ 6 ] Kroenke is a reasonably cloistered valet who prefers to avoid the spotlight. He is popularly known as “ silent Stan ” because he about never gives interviews to the weight-lift. [ 16 ] He rarely interferes in his teams ‘ daily operations. During the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, he donated $ 100,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund. He subsequently donated $ 1 million to Donald Trump ‘s inauguration committee. [ 53 ] [ 54 ] [ 55 ]

References