Jimmy Haslam | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Haslam in 2013 | |
| Born | James Arthur Haslam III (1954-03-09)March 9, 1954 (age 71)[1] |
| Alma mater | University of Tennessee |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, NFL, MLS and NBA team owner, philanthropist |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Bill Haslam (brother) |
James Arthur Haslam III (born March 9, 1954) is an Americanbusinessman and sports executive. He is thechairman of the board of thePilot Flying Jtruck stop chain. He and his wifeDee own theCleveland Browns of theNational Football League (NFL), theColumbus Crew ofMajor League Soccer (MLS), and stake in theMilwaukee Bucks of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Under Haslam's ownership, the Crew have won twoMLS Cup Championships (2020 and2023).
His fatherJim Haslam founded thePilot Corporation in 1958 as the Pilot Oil Corporation.
Haslam, who lives in his nativeKnoxville, Tennessee, is the elder brother ofBill Haslam, formerGovernor of Tennessee.[2] He is married toSusan "Dee" Bagwell Haslam, CEO ofRIVR Media, part of the family ownership group of Pilot and co-owner of the Browns and Crew. They have three adult children, James Bagwell Haslam (adopted 2016), Whitney Haslam Johnson, and Cynthia Haslam Arnholt and five grandchildren.
While attending theUniversity of Tennessee, Haslam was a roommate ofBob Corker, who went on to become aUnited States Senator from Tennessee. He is a member of theSigma Chi fraternity.[2]
Haslam began his career atPilot Corporation in 1976, which his father had founded. In 1980, Haslam was named vice president of sales, development and operations. At that time, Pilot operated 100 convenience stores with annual fuel sales of about 125 million gallons. Pilot opened its first travel center in 1981, and by 1996 – the same year Haslam was named president and chief executive officer – the company operated 96 travel centers and 50 convenience stores and its total gallon sales had reached 1.2 billion. Pilot Corporation attained yet another milestone in 2001 when it joined with Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC to form Pilot Travel Centers LLC.
In 2008, Pilot Corporation announced thatCVC Capital Partners had acquired 49.8% interest inPilot Travel Centers LLC, facilitating the sale byMarathon Petroleum Company (formerlyMarathon Ashland Petroleum) of its interest inPilot Travel Centers. Pilot Corporation retained 50% ownership ofPilot Travel Centers LLC. In 2015, the Haslam family acquired all ofCVC Capital Partners’ shares in the company. Pilot's convenience store operations continue to be fully owned by Pilot Corporation.In 2010,Pilot Travel Centers LLC joined withFlying J Inc. In 2012,Pilot Flying J acquired Western Petroleum and the majority ownership of Maxum Petroleum and in 2012 formed Maxum Enterprises LLC, d/b/a Pilot Logistics Services. In 2014, Pilot Logistics Services merged with Thomas Petroleum to form Pilot Thomas Logistics. Pilot Flying J subsidiary Pilot Thomas Logistics is one of the fastest growing energy logistics companies in North America.
Pilot Flying J is one of the largest top 10 privately held companies in the United States and employs more than 24,000 employees. The Pilot Flying J network provides customers with access to more than 70,000 parking spaces for trucks, 4,800 showers and 4,300 diesel lanes featuring DEF at the pump.
In April 2013,Federal Bureau of Investigation andInternal Revenue Service agents executed a search and seizure warrant and affidavit detailing a five-year fraud scheme by the Pilot Flying J chain. The company paid restitution to customers and agreed to pay a $92 million penalty pursuant to a Criminal Enforcement Agreement.[3][4]
Haslam's civic involvement includes service on the board of directors of Anderson Media Corporation. He also has served on the boards of the United Way of Greater Knoxville, Lakeshore Park in Knoxville and the National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO). In addition, Haslam served as honorary chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland campaign committee and as campaign chair for Knox Area Rescue Ministries and United Way of Greater Knoxville.
In 2006, he served as Tennessee statewide campaign chair for the United States SenatorBob Corker and in 2012, he served as Statewide Finance Chairman for Tennessee GovernorBill Haslam, his brother.[5] Haslam was inducted into the Junior Achievement of East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2010, he was named a recipient of theErnst & YoungEntrepreneur Of The Year award for the Southeast region. In 2013, the University of Tennessee recognized Haslam with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He is the co-founder of the Haslam Scholars Program for premier honor students at the University of Tennessee.[5]
In 2001, Jimmy and Dee Haslam founded Haslam Giving, a nonprofit organization that includes the Haslam 3 Foundation, the Columbus Crew Foundation, and the Cleveland Browns Foundation.[6] The Haslam 3 Foundation provides funding to community organizations in Ohio and Tennessee.[7]
Haslam has provided endowments for the creation of the Haslam Sports Innovation Center atUniversity Hospitals,[8] the Haslam Family Section for Cardiovascular Genetics and the Haslam Family Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine at theCleveland Clinic,[9] and the Haslam College of Business atUniversity of Tennessee.[10]
Haslam bought a minority interest in thePittsburgh Steelers in 2008. In 2012, he reached an agreement with Browns ownerRandy Lerner to purchase the franchise for $1 billion. The Browns were valued at $977 million in 2011 byForbes magazine, 20th in the NFL. NFL rules prohibit ownership in multiple teams and so Haslam sold his interest in the Steelers.[2][11] The Haslams' purchase of the Browns was unanimously approved by the 32 teams in the NFL on October 12; the sale itself closed thirteen days later.[12]
Since officially taking over the Browns seven games into the 2012 season, and through week 5 of the 2024 regular season, Haslam has a 70-123-1 record as team owner, but had his first winning season in 2020 when the Browns went 11–5, and won his first postseason game as Browns owner when they defeated the Steelers 48–37 in the Wild Card round of the2020–21 NFL playoffs.[13]
In late 2018, reports emerged that Haslam had purchasedMajor League Soccer clubColumbus Crew fromAnthony Precourt, who wanted to move the club toAustin, Texas. Haslam, along with his wife Dee and former team physician Pete Edwards, took over as owners on January 1, 2019, as a deal to purchase the club from Precourt was finalized.[14]
The Crew wonMLS Cup 2020, giving Haslam his first major sports championship as an owner.[15] The Crew won their second MLS Cup under Haslam's ownership in2023.[16]
In 2023, Haslam and his wife purchasedMarc Lasry's 25% stake in theMilwaukee Bucks for $800 million, making them co-owners of the team withWes Edens andJamie Dinan.[17][18]
Sports ownership
Business
The sale will close Oct. 25, and Lerner will retain a 30 percent stake for four years.