American businesswoman Mellody Hobson is set to become a part owner of the Denver Broncos, making her the first Black woman NFL owner in the league’s history.
According to the Broncos wire, The Walton-Penner group, led by Walmart heir Rob Walton, announced that Hobson would be joining ownership after the group agreed to purchase the Broncos for $4.65 billion. The agreement is currently pending NFL approval.
“Beyond her role at Ariel, Mellody is an influential leader in corporate and civic organizations across the nation,” Walton reportedly said about the Ariel Investments co-CEO in a press release. “Mellody currently serves as Chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation and is also a director of JPMorgan Chase. We know she will bring her strategic acumen and leadership perspective to our team.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell previously stated that the NFL wanted the Broncos to be sold to a diverse ownership group after the team announced they were going up for sale back in February.
“We would love to see a diverse owner of the team. Whether that’s a person of color, or a female, or a Black man — we think that would be a really positive step for us,” Goodell told 9News. “[It’s] something we’ve encouraged and one of the reasons we’ve reached out to find candidates who can do that…I think we’ll be very clear, and we have already been clear with the Broncos that is something we would seek to have in the ownership.”
As such, Hobson will be a minority owner of the team alongside Walton’s daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and his son-in-law, Greg Penner.
The prominent businesswoman was born and raised in Chicago and graduated from Princeton University, where she was a member of the Cottage Club.
In 2013 Hobson married legendary film director Steven Lucas and that year, the couple had daughter Everest Hobson Lucas, who resides with them in San Fransisco, Calif.
Seven years later, in 2020, she came in at #94 on the Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
Last month, the 53-year-old earned an honorary degree at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
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The Chicago native’s net worth is reported to be $100 million.
