Who is Oliver Haarmann? All we know about minority NHL team owner spotted with Reese Witherspoon

Oliver Haarmann, a private equity financier based in Germany, has recently been linked with actress and film producer Reese Witherspoon. According to a report from People, several sources confirmed they are dating. They were seen together several times over the summer. Recently, they held hands in New York City and attended an Assouline event together on September 4.

Oliver Haarmann founded Searchlight Capital Partners in 2010. Before that, he worked at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), a global investment firm in London. Harmaan is a qualified individual. He holds two degrees from Brown University, one in international relations and another in history. In 1996, he also did MBA from Harvard University to boost his perspective in the Corporate sector.

Haarmann is also a minority co-owner of the NHL's New York Islanders. According to a report from "Sportico," he was in the process of owning a 10 percent stake in the franchise valued at over one and a half billion dollars.

Haarmann is currently 57 years old and was previously married to Mala Gaonkar, with whom he has two children. Gaonkar is a successful financier who started her own hedge fund in 2022. Together, they co-founded the Surgo Foundation, a charity focused on global health and development.

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Management and financial aspects of Oliver Haarmann's Islanders

The New York Islanders are owned by the New York Islanders Hockey Club, L.P., led by Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky. Malkin and Ledecky bought the team from Charles Wang in 2014 for $485 million.

List of names from the Ownership and Management front:

• Co-Owner & Governor: Scott Malkin
• Co-Owner & Alternate Governor: Jon Ledecky
• Co-Owner: Oliver Haarmann
• Co-Owner: Dewey Shay
• Co-Owner, Operating Partner, & Alternate Governor: John Collins
• President & General Manager, Alternate Governor: Lou Lamoriello
• Alternate Governor: Art McCarthy

As of 2024, the team's market value is $1.55 billion (per Forbers). In the 2022-2023 season, they generated $183 million in revenue, with $40 million in operating income. The team spent about $80 million on player salaries and earned $64 million in gate receipts. The Islanders have strong management, with a wins-to-player cost ratio of 101.

Competing in the NHL's Metropolitan Division, The New York Islanders is one of the two teams from New York. The team was founded in 1972 and has won four Stanley Cups. Their home games are at UBS Arena, and their minor league affiliates are Bridgeport Islanders and Worcester Railers.

The Islanders remain a competitive team in the NHL with solid financial performance.