"When I do something, I don’t do it halfway" - Billionaire New York Mets owner outlines his refuse-to-lose mindset ahead of 2023 season

With an estimated net worth of approximately $16 billion, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is by far the wealthiest owner in the MLB. Naturally, he is not used to seeing cost as an obstacle.

Under Cohen's ownership, the Mets have set records for how much they pay their players. Heading into the 2023 season, the Mets have a payroll of over $300 million, the most in the MLB.

Deesha Thohar, a writer for Fox Sports, caught up with Cohen at the Mets spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The billionaire finance boss gave a simple yet committed explanation of how he felt heading into the new season.

"Steve Cohen: 'When I do something, I don’t do it halfway. When I’m in, I’m all in. I don’t accept mediocrity well. So I have to set high expectations and if it requires me to invest in this club, then I’m going to do it.'" - @ Deesha

Growing up in Great Neck, Long Island, Steve Cohen has been a Mets fan since childhood. He purchased an eight percent stake in the New York Mets in 2012.

Before purchasing a majority stake in the Mets in 2020, Cohen ran a succession of highly successful New York-based hedge funds. His most successful venture, SAC Capital, had $16 billion in assets under management in 2008.

However, following an SEC investigation into insider trading, SAC was fined the most money a single entity has ever paid, $1.8 billion. Although several of Cohen's underlings were indicted, Cohen himself was never charged.

The Mets signed pitcher Max Scherzer to a three-year deal worth around $130 million before last season. Scherzer's $43 million yearly salary made him the highest-paid pitcher in history.

"Francisco Lindor catches up with Steve Cohen behind the batting cage:" - @ SNY

In December 2022, the Mets signed Justin Verlander to a two-year deal at the same annual salary, effectively tying their own record. Verlander led the MLB in wins and ERA as a member of the Houston Astros last season, winning both the World Series and the third Cy Young of his career.

Steve Cohen knows how to get his money's worth out of his assets

Despite winning 100 games for the first time since 1988, the Mets met an unexpected exit in the NL Wild Card Series, falling 2-1 to the San Diego Padres.

For the amount of money Cohen has invested in this club, he needs better results. An investor-extraordinaire like Cohen knows that better than anyone.