Given the potential cost to the team, the list of legitimate candidates has shrunk to about half a dozen. Robert Smith, who grew up in Denver and is considered one of the richest blacks in the country, was considered a contender, but his candidacy never materialized.
Other candidates included Josh Harris, who already owns shares in the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, and the Devils of the NHL.
Some reports link former Broncos quarterbacks John Elway and Peyton Manning to various candidates, but they probably hold small financial stakes. Under the league’s rules, the new owner can borrow only up to $ 1 billion to fund the purchase, a constraint that eliminates many countries.
This restriction is unlikely to limit Rob Walton, Greg Penner and their families. The 77-year-old Walton is the eldest child of Helen and Sam Walton, co-founder of Walmart. Rob Walton was chairman of Walmart from 1992 to 2015. His cousin is Anne Walton, Sam Walton’s niece and wife of E. Stanley Kronke, who owns the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, the Colorado Avalanche and the NHL Avalanche. The Premier League, among other teams.
Penner married Rob Walton’s daughter, Carrie, and has been chairman of Walmart since 2015.
The Walton-Penner offer, if approved, will end nearly four decades of ownership of the Bowlan family. The Broncos joined the AFL in 1960 and were grim on the field in their first decade and a half, although they were popular with fans in the Rockies. But after Bowlan bought the club in 1984, the Broncos had 21 winning seasons, 13 division titles, nine conference championship seats and seven Super Bowl appearances.
His memory failed, Bowlan retired from the team in 2014 and left several trustees, including Ellis, to oversee the franchise. The trustees were tasked with deciding which of his children should become the controlling owner – or whether the franchise should be sold if they believe it is in the best interests of the family.
Beth Bowlan, Bowlan’s second daughter from his first marriage, worked at the club and was interested in becoming the main owner. But she left the team a few years ago.
Add Comment