Broncos sport NFLs richest, most diverse ownership group

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Denver Broncos now sport the wealthiest owner in the NFL and the league’s most diverse ownership group.

Four of the six members of the Walton-Penner ownership group, which was welcomed into the NFL this week, are either women or minorities.

Walmart heir Rob Walton, the oldest child of Walmart co-founder Sam Walton, bought the Broncos along with his daughter, Carrie Walton Penner and her husband, for $4.65 billion, a global record for a professional sports franchise.

Walton said Wednesday that his sonin-law, Greg Penner, will serve as CEO of the team. Penner said he'll soon hire a team president.

Those roles had been held by Joe Ellis, who is staying on this year as an advisor.

The ownership group includes limited partners Mellody Hobson, CEO of Starbucks, former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and Lewis Hamilton, the winningest Formula One driver in history.

Before Walton's group purchased the Broncos, the NFL's wealthiest owner was Carolina's David Tepper, whom Forbes estimates has a total net worth of $16.7 billion.

Walton's estimated net worth is $60 billion.

Most of the group gathered at team headquarters a day after NFL owners unanimously approved the sale Tuesday in Minnesota. Star safety Justin Simmons said he was proud to see so many faces of colour.

“To see some diversity and to see strong, Black women in the ownership group, I mean, what an inspiration for so many people," said Simmons, who is biracial. “There's little girls out here whose dads play on the team and they can look up at the ownership of the Broncos and they can see someone that looks just like them. I think that's really great.”