Businessman eyes Panthers

INTERNET billionaire Michael Rubin is putting together an audacious bid to buy the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and has landed an incredibly powerful ally — the co-founder of Chinese Web giant Alibaba, Joseph Tsai, sources exclusively tell Page Six. Sources say Rubin, who owns $4.5 billion online sportswear retailer Fanatics, is set on buying the Panthers, a team that was put up for sale in December after owner Jerry Richardson was accused of workplace misconduct. Rubin, a close friend of Patriots owner Bob Kraft and many pro-athletes, is set to submit a bid for the Panthers, and Tsai is on board to join an impressive ownership consortium, which they hope could yet include sports legends such as Seth Curry, LeBron James and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Tsai is already a 49 percent owner of the Brooklyn Nets.

A source said, “Rubin is putting a powerful bid for the Carolina Panthers. Under the bid, Rubin would be the majority owner, with Tsai just behind. But Rubin also hopes to put together an incredibly diverse minority ownership team as part of his bid. He has been talking to LeBron James, Seth Curry and Diddy as minority owners . . . the ownership structure can be declared at a later date.”

Reps for Rubin and Diddy didn’t comment. But a source close to Combs — who is said to be worth more than $820 million, thanks to deals with Diageo’s Ciroc and a partnership with DeLeón tequila — told us, “Sean is absolutely serious about being in on the deal to buy the Panthers. This team is something he truly believes in.”

Forbes has valued the Panthers at $2.3 billion, and sources confirmed that initial bids for the team were due on Monday. We revealed earlier this year that hedge-fund billionaire David Tepper made a $2.3 billion play for the Carolina Panthers. Appaloosa Management founder Tepper is also a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, owners of Station Casinos and Red Rock Resorts, were also considering a Panthers bid, we reported.

The NFL hopes to approve a deal at a meeting in May in Atlanta.