As of Monday, Carolina Panthers officially have a new owner. Hedge fund billionaire David Tepper finalized the purchase of the Panthers from former owner Jerry Richardson, who founded the franchise back in 1993.
Tepper paid $2.275 billion for the ownership, which stands as the highest amount paid for a North American sports franchise. He was approved as the team’s new owner during the Spring League Meeting held in May.
“I am thrilled to begin this new era of Carolina Panthers football and am humbled by the overwhelming excitement and support for the team,” – said Tepper in a statement released by the club. “On behalf of the fans and myself, I thank Jerry Richardson for bringing the team to the Carolinas and for entrusting me with its future.”
“Winning is the most important thing both on the field and in the community, and I am committed to winning a Super Bowl championship together. I look forward to being part of the Panthers’ family and to supporting this flourishing region.” – he added.
During the 23 seasons of Jerry Richardson’s ownership, Carolina Panthers made two Super Bowl appearances, in 2003 and 2015, but lost to New England Patriots and Denver Broncos respectively. Besides two NFC Championships, they also have six divisional titles.
After the sale was finalized, Richardson wrote a letter to Panthers fans in which he thanked them for their support and said that the “team is in good hands.”
Jerry Richardson's farewell message pic.twitter.com/jHhaO6YxaV
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 9, 2018
