Raiders Get New Minority Investors

In Orlando, a group led by Egon Durban, co-CEO of Silver Lake, and Michael Meldman, chairman of Discovery Land Company, has significantly increased its investment in the Raiders.

On Tuesday, the NFL greenlit the acquisition of a 25% stake in the team. With this deal, Durban’s ownership rises to 22%, while Meldman’s interest grows to 12.9%.

Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro, both associated with Silver Lake and heads of WME and TKO Group, are also entering the mix. Emanuel is set to hold a 1.4% share, and Shapiro will have 0.6%.

Importantly, this new arrangement doesn’t alter Mark Davis’ control over the Raiders. He still possesses 36% of the club and will maintain that control as long as he holds at least 30% ownership.

However, there’s speculation that Durban might be positioned to take over the Raiders if Davis were to sell or pass away. Recently, the NFL approved a succession plan that would give Durban the first option to buy the franchise under those circumstances.

This fresh deal doesn’t reduce Davis’ stake. The shares acquired were previously part of First Football, the largest minority shareholder, which owned 25% of the stock sold. This investment was made back in 2007, valued at $700 million, and now, nearly 20 years later, it’s being sold at an impressive valuation of $9.9 billion, making that portion worth roughly $2.5 billion.

Durban, Meldman, along with Tom Brady and Tom Wagner, co-founder of Knighthead Capital Management, have been gradually investing in Raiders stock over the last two years.

Aside from being a minority owner, Brady is essentially acting as the de facto president of football operations, collaborating closely with general manager John Spytek on crucial football decisions.