Formula One star Lewis Hamilton has been announced as a part of the ownership group of National Football League team Denver Broncos.
Last month, the Walton-Penner group agreed to buy the Denver Broncos from the Patrick D Bowlen Trust for a whopping £3.81 billion, making it the most expensive deal in the history of sports franchises in the world. The amount is significantly higher than the one involved in the recent purchase of Premier League club Chelsea by the Todd Boehly-led consortium, which was estimated around £2.5 billion.
The Broncos are one of the most successful NFL franchises with three Super Bowl wins.
Rob Walton, the Walmart heir who is leading the ownership group, stated:
“We’re delighted to welcome seven-time Formula One World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton to our ownership group. He is a champion competitor who knows what it takes to lead a winning team and a fierce advocate for global equality, including in his own sport.
“With over 100 race wins, Lewis is considered the most successful F1 driver of all time. His resilient spirit and standard of excellence will be an asset to the ownership group and the Broncos organisation.“
Hamilton himself put out a statement on Twitter, confirming the same.
The ownership group also consists of Walton’s daughter Carrie Walton Penner and her husband Greg Penner, both of whom are reported to take up important positions and be involved in day-to-day operations. Walton, who was the Walmart chairman from 1992 to 2015, has an estimated net worth of £49 billion. Reports suggest that the National Football League will be approving the Walton-Penner group’s purchase agreement in the upcoming week during a league meeting in Minneapolis. The league’s finance committee has already unanimously agreed for the sale to be approved.
Along with Hamilton, former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also a member of the ownership group, having joined as an investor last month.
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