Who Are Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the Potential New Owners of the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Athletic reported Monday that billionaire Jimmy Haslam and Haslam Sports Group have agreed to take over Marc Lasry’s ownership stake in the Milwaukee Bucks. Here’s what to know about the potential new owners.
Jimmy Haslam is CEO of Pilot Flying J
Jimmy Haslam is the CEO of the truck stop chain Pilot Flying J and his wife, Dee, is CEO and partner in Rivr Media, a television production company. She is the CEO of Haslam Sports Group.
Jimmy’s father, Jim, founded the Pilot Corporation in 1958. The company has more than 800 North American locations today. Jimmy’s younger brother, Bill Haslam, was governor of Tennessee from 2011-19 and is also a billionaire.
Rivr Media specializes primarily in reality television programming, including “Trading Spaces” on TLC and other offerings that appear in places such as the Discovery Channel, TNN and HGTV.
The couple is based in Tennessee and has three adult children. The Haslams split their time between Ohio and Tennessee.
Pilot J was found responsible for defrauding truckers of $56.5 million in a five-year fraud scheme and 17 executives and staff members were sentenced. Haslam was deposed in the investigation but did not face any charges. The company also paid a $92 million fine.
Forbes estimates Jimmy Haslam’s worth (as of February 2023) at $4.8 billion.
Haslams Own Two Other Major Pro Sports Teams, Including the Cleveland Browns
The NBA would be the third North American professional sports league the Haslams would be involved with.
They are the managing partners of the Haslam Sports Group, which has owned the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League since 2012 and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer since 2019.
The Browns have posted one winning season and made one playoff appearance (2020) in their tenure.
In August, the couple pledged $1 million to “education to increase awareness of sexual misconduct” after the Browns traded for and extended quarterback Deshaun Watson after he faced two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions.
The Crew won the MLS Cup in 2020. The team missed the playoffs in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Jimmy Haslam briefly held an ownership stake with the Pittsburgh Steelers, purchased in 2008 before he took over the Browns.
The Haslams’ potential purchase of the Bucks could mean a new era for the franchise, with the team already having achieved success in the past few years. With their impressive track record in the NFL and MLS, it’s possible the Haslams could bring the same winning culture to the Bucks.
