Paul Spinelli/AP
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) took to X to slam “Welfare King” Kansas City Chiefs’ owner Clark Hunt after the team signed a costly agreement to move their Missouri stadium to Kansas.
The majority-cost of the stadium will be funded by taxpayer dollars, though between family wealth and his roles with the Chiefs and FC Dallas, Hunt’s estimated net worth is $1.6 billion.
“Clark Hunt: the biggest Welfare King in America,” Boyle wrote on X, “Billions of taxpayer money going to this billionaire, while working people suffer. Just a disgrace.”
The Chiefs plan to build an elaborate new stadium in Kansas City with the intent to relocate by the 2031 season. According to the agreement, the Chiefs are responsible for 40 percent, or $1.2 billion, and Kansas will pay the remaining 60 percent, or $1.8 billion, for this new stadium. Any unexpected, accrued costs will be covered by the Chiefs.
That 60 percent will be paid by the state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds. No additional tax increases are expected as a result of the new stadium build. The Chiefs are also set to pay $7 million annually in rent. Of that, $350,000 will go towards governmental, administrative costs.
STAR bonds function by allowing the state to pay up-front for the development, with the bonds then being paid off over time by tax revenues, sports betting, lottery tickets and other means.
“This is a very conservative, thoughtful, protective approach to this. Kansas taxpayers will not be at risk at all for this,” Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) told The Athletic. “Kansas just happens to have a really innovative, creative tool that has worked for us before, and I fully expect it will work for us with this.”
Per Kansas state estimates, the project could bring 20,000 jobs and $4.4 billion in economic impact to Kansas “during the construction phase alone.” The project itself includes a $3 billion stadium and a new Chief’s headquarters and training facility.
To move forward, the NFL move approve the deal by October 31, 2026. The Chiefs must also acquire and finalize their long-term lease for the new stadium.
“Today is an extraordinary day in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs,” Hunt said. “We are excited to partner with the State of Kansas to bring a world-class stadium to our fans. This project represents another step in our legacy of innovation and our fan-first mentality, which started with my father, Lamar Hunt. The stadium, practice facility, and surrounding development will benefit the entire region, and further elevate Kansas City in the eyes of the country and the world.”