Inside the NFL and NHL ownership empire behind the WTA star.Image via: Getty Jessica Pegula has spent years trying to make sure people talk about her tennis before they talk about her last name. The American star, currently ranked among the top players on the WTA Tour, recently lifted the Dubai Tennis Championships title, adding another WTA 1000 trophy to her growing résumé. It was her 10th career singles title and cemented her status as one of the most consistent players on tour. Calm under pressure and known for her steady baseline game, Pegula has built her reputation through results. But no matter how many matches she wins, curiosity about her family background always follows.
The billionaire empire behind Jessica Pegula
Pegula is the daughter of billionaire business magnate Terry Pegula and business executive Kim Pegula: a fact that has made her one of the most financially unique athletes in professional tennis. Terry Pegula made his fortune in the energy industry. He founded East Resources, an oil and natural gas company, and in 2010 sold its assets to Royal Dutch Shell in a deal reportedly worth around $4.7 billion. That transaction transformed him into one of America’s wealthiest businessmen. Over the years, Forbes has put his approximate net worth in the multi-billion-dollar range.After building his wealth in energy, Terry shifted focus toward professional sports ownership. In 2011, he purchased the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Three years later, in 2014, he acquired the NFL’s Buffalo Bills for approximately $1.4 billion. Both teams remain under Pegula ownership and have since increased significantly in valuation. The Pegula family also has ownership interests in other sports entities, including the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League.Jessica’s mother, Kim Pegula, has played a major role in the family’s business operations. She became one of the few women in the NFL to serve as a team president, taking on leadership responsibilities with the Bills and the Sabres. Kim, who was adopted from South Korea as a child, has been widely respected for her executive role in professional sports in an industry traditionally dominated by men.Despite growing up in immense wealth, Jessica Pegula has often spoken about wanting to carve out her own identity. She chose tennis early and pursued it professionally, working her way through injuries and setbacks before breaking into the top tier of the WTA Tour. Unlike many heirs to billion-dollar fortunes, she travels the same tour grind as every other player including long flights, tight match schedules and constant competition.Today, Pegula stands as both a top American tennis player and the daughter of one of the most powerful ownership families in U.S. sports.