Kwanza Jones Becomes First Black Woman Majority Owner Of An MLB Team In $3.9B San Diego Padres Deal

Kwanza Jones has made history with her investment in baseball.

Jones and her husband José E. Feliciano are the new owners of the Padres, per the MLB. 

Investing in the team was a no-brainer for the couple. As AFROTECH previously reported, the Seidler family agreed to sell the Padres to Jones and Feliciano in a deal reportedly valued at $3.9 billion. This makes Jones the first Black woman to own an MLB team.

She sits on various boards, including UCLA Health and the Apollo Theatre, has been investing for more than a decade, and is a Princeton University graduate, as is her husband. 

The pair were unanimously approved by the league and its owners to become the new owners of the Padres on Aug. 17, according to a press release. By Aug. 24, they had received an official welcome.

They own nearly a 45% stake in the team through their “personal investment,” Sports Business Journal reports.

“We are a family first, and becoming owners of the San Diego Padres means joining an even larger one,” Jones and Feliciano said in the press release. “We have built our life and our work together, and we will bring that same shared purpose, commitment, and determination to our stewardship of the Padres. It is a source of immense pride and an extraordinary opportunity to become part of a team, a tradition, and the San Diego community that has supported it so faithfully.”

“Our ambition is clear: to bring a World Series championship to San Diego and build an enduring organization capable of competing for championships year after year. We intend to be engaged owners, bringing our energy, experience, and perspective while working alongside the talented team already in place and investing ambitiously and thoughtfully in the Padres’ future. That means pursuing excellence and innovation throughout the organization, delivering a first-class experience at Petco Park, deepening the bond with the faithful fans, and making a positive impact across the San Diego community. We are all in and committed to winning,” they continued.

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The post Kwanza Jones Becomes First Black Woman Majority Owner Of An MLB Team In $3.9B San Diego Padres Deal appeared first on AfroTech.

The post Kwanza Jones Becomes First Black Woman Majority Owner Of An MLB Team In $3.9B San Diego Padres Deal appeared first on AfroTech.