The Vancouver Whitecaps need a billionaire.
Preferably one who’s local and wants to keep the franchise in Vancouver.
So how about the billionaire across the street?
Francesco Aquilini had reported interest in acquiring an MLS franchise back in 2008, but that appears to no longer be the case. Global BC’s Squire Barnes reported last month that the owner of the Vancouver Canucks is not interested in purchasing Whitecaps FC.
There goes that.
If the Whitecaps can’t find a local owner, it’ll only further fears of the franchise being bought by an American and moved south. It’s what happened to the Vancouver Grizzlies once upon a time.
“We’re looking for somebody who is ambitious, is passionate, who’s committed, and who wants to lead the club into the next decade in Vancouver,” Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster said last month.
“There [are] a lot of reasons to keep it here and not a lot of reasons not to keep it here. We have an amazing market and a good supporters group.”
Founded in 1999 the Southsiders supporters group is still going strong (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
The price has gone up considerably since Greg Kerfoot and company bought the MLS franchise in 2009 for a cool $30 million. The Whitecaps are currently valued at $470 million, according to Sportico, and MLS’s newest franchise, San Diego FC, paid $500 million for an expansion team.
On top of that, four franchises (LAFC, Atlanta United, Inter Miami CF, and LA Galaxy) are now valued at over a billion dollars.
That means whoever buys the Whitecaps will need deep pockets, likely much deeper than BC Lions owner Amar Doman, for instance. And if the club is to remain in Vancouver, it likely needs someone with ties to British Columbia to write the cheques.
So who could buy the team?
Jim Pattison has a net worth of $9.3 billion, but he’s also 96 years old. It’s unlikely that he’s in the market for a professional sports franchise at this stage of life.
The ideal candidate is much younger and has an interest in sports.
Is that lululemon founder Chip Wilson? The 67-year-old is worth $6.8 billion, according to Forbes.
Ryan Reynolds isn’t a billionaire yet (with a reported net worth of $350 million) but he could certainly put a group together. Does the Vancouver native have an appetite to add another pro sports team to his repertoire? He already owns Wrexham AFC but we know he was once interested in buying the Ottawa Senators.
Congrats, @vancityreynolds! We have an idea where you could put your powers for good 😏 https://t.co/1JHdqwx88F
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) December 19, 2024
Joseph Tsai, founder of Alibaba Group, is a Canadian citizen worth $8.5 billion. The 61-year-old Taiwanese-born billionaire has a clear interest in North American pro sports, as he owns the Brooklyn Nets (NBA), New York Liberty (WNBA), San Diego Seals (NLL), and Las Vegas Desert Dogs (NLL). He once tried to buy the Carolina Panthers (NFL) and is an investor with LAFC (MLS).
He even has a connection to Whitecaps co-owner Steve Nash, as they’re both involved with the ownership group of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
Tsai would have to sell his stake in LAFC to buy the Whitecaps, but why not have a team all to his own?
Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi famously once tried to buy the Canucks, as did Ryan Beedie. They each have the money required and the interest in sports, plus they’re local to Vancouver.
The Gaglardi family, which owns the Sandman hotel chain, Moxie’s restaurants, and other interests, is worth $3.8 billion, according to Forbes. Tom, 57, is the president of Northland Properties, which operates hotels and restaurants in Canada. He also owns the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
Beedie is reportedly worth $1.8 billion and is the president of Beedie, a private real estate development and investment company. Would the Whitecaps scratch a sports itch for the 53-year-old Burnaby native?
Hopefully, the price is right for someone here in BC.