Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates has become the newest minority investor in the Seattle Kraken, pending NHL approval. The 61-year-old native of Dallas, Texas, has a net worth of $30 billion, according to Forbes. Gates is the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,\u201d Gates said in a statement released by the Kraken on Monday. \u201cI\u2019m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I\u2019m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gates joins an ownership group that already featured a variety of minority investors, including longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Seattle Sounders owner Tod Leiweke and former Cirque du Soleil chairman Mitch Garber. The Kraken declined to share its full list of investors; however, celebrities like NFL star Marshawn Lynch and rapper Macklemore have also been involved financially.<\/p>\n
Gates worked as a multimedia product developer for Microsoft in the 1980s, working on projects that included the company\u2019s word processing software, Microsoft Word, and the company\u2019s encyclopedia project, Encarta. She left Microsoft in 1996 before holding seats on the boards of directors for numerous groups and beginning her philanthropic work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, now known as the Gates Foundation.<\/p>\n
The Kraken are co-owned by Samantha Holloway, the majority owner of the One Roof Sports & Entertainment Group. Holloway is the NHL\u2019s lone female governor and one of the few female NHL owners alongside Buffalo\u2019s Kim Pegula, Utah\u2019s Ashley Smith and Colorado\u2019s Ann Walton Kroenke, who each co-own their franchises with their husbands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am excited to welcome Melinda to our ownership group,\u201d said Samantha Holloway. \u201cMelinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
One Roof Sports & Entertainment oversees the Kraken and its home, Climate Pledge Arena, which is also the home of the PWHL\u2019s Seattle Torrent and the WNBA\u2019s Seattle Storm. It could also be the home arena for an NBA franchise once the league decides to expand. Holloway also expressed interest<\/a> in an NBA team in a recent interview with The Athletic\u2019s James Mirtle.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a huge basketball fan,\u201d Holloway said in an April interview. \u201cAt the moment, my heart is in hockey, and I\u2019m really proud of what we\u2019ve built here, but we\u2019ve shown we can bring an expansion team to Seattle and that the market is big and sports-focused. And there\u2019s plenty of appetite for another team as well. We\u2019re excited at the possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n