Arnie Stapleton, The Associated Press
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Walton family, the wealthiest in the United States and from which come the heirs to the fortune of Walmart, won the bid to buy the Denver Broncos, making the sale of the most expensive sports franchise in history, all sports combined.
The Broncos confirmed late Tuesday that they had reached a tentative agreement with the Walton-Penner group led by Rob Walton, his daughter, Carrie Walton Penner, and her husband, Greg Penner.
The financial details of the sale were not revealed, but according to the KUSA-TV station in Denver, it would be worth US$4.65 billion (C$5.831 billion).
This sale price surpasses the $3.1 billion set last month for Chelsea, one of the most prestigious soccer clubs in Europe. The London team was bought by the American consortium led by the minority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers Todd Boehly.
Boehly would also have been among the investors of one of the five groups finalists for the purchase of the Broncos.
The tentative agreement between the Broncos and the Walton-Penner Group to purchase the franchise belonging to the Pat Bowlen Trust must be approved by the NFL, but it should be a mere formality.
Walton, 77, was chairman of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, between 1992 and 2015, when he retired. He is the eldest son of the company’s co-founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and the net worth of his holdings is said to be around $60 billion.
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