What is 49ers Enterprises? All about athletes part of Leeds United’s ownership

49ers Enterprises is a corporate venture capital arm of The San Francisco 49ers based in Santa Clara, California.

They were created in 1946 when the San Francisco 49ers became a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and joined the NFL in 1949 when the leagues merged.

49ers Enterprises is the organization's corporate venture capital firm worth an estimated $6 billion. In this article, we look at their latest acquisition and some athlete investors joining the bid.

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Who are the athletes joining the 49ers Enterprises’ takeover of Leeds United?

Five notable American athlete-investors are joining 49ers Enterprises’ takeover of Leeds United, becoming part owners of the club.

They are:

• Jordan Spieth, PGA Golfer
• Justin Thomas, PGA Golfer
• Larry Nance, New Orleans Pelicans Basketball Player
• Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers Basketball Player
• TJ McConnell, Indiana Pacers Basketball Player

They will join the 49ers Enterprises ownership consortium that's completing a 100% purchase of English Championship club Leeds United. It's the latest move by American sports stars to join the super lucrative world of European football.

It comes after JJ Watt joined the Burnley FC investment group. The athlete-investors joining the 49ers Enterprises’ takeover of Leeds United are very accomplished in their respective sport.

Thomas and Spieth are golf Major champions, Westbrook is a future basketball Hall of Famer, while Lance and McConnell are key starters in the NBA.

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49ers Enterprises agrees to buy Leeds United from Andrea Radrizzani

49ers Enterprises is now in complete control of Leeds United. It comes after Leeds team owner Andrea Radrizzani decided to sell his majority stake in the English soccer club to the Enterprise. Radrizzani owned about 56% of the organization.

Per reports, 49ers Enterprises reportedly committed to buy Leeds at an evaluation of about $213 million. It's a cut-price deal, as it comes after Leeds were relegated from the English Premier League.

Initially, the team was valued around the $500 million mark. Radrizzani has been the majority shareholder of Leeds since 2017. He has since purchased a controlling stake at Italian club Sampdoria.

49ers Enterprises first joined Leeds as a shareholder in 2018. It increased its share of the club to just more than 30% in 2020 and then most recently to 44%. Leeds is the latest club owned by an American group with ties to the National Football League.

The Glazer family, which owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owns European giants Manchester United. Los Angeles Rams and Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke also owns Arsenal FC, while Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan owns Fulham FC.