Donn Davis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Education | Miami University University of Michigan Law School |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur Venture capitalist |
| Known for | Founder, chairman and co-owner, Professional Fighters League |
Donn Davis is an Americanventure capitalist andentrepreneur. He is founder,chairman and co-owner of theProfessional Fighters League, co-owner of e-sports teamTeam Liquid and founding partner of the investment firmRevolution LLC.
After graduatingMiami University inOxford, Ohio in 1985 andUniversity of Michigan Law School in 1988, Davis went to work for Chicago-based law firmSidley Austin.[1][2] In 1992, he joinedTribune Media as senior counsel in the law department, handling acquisitions and transactions. At the age of 29, Davis became chief counsel to theChicago Cubsbaseball team, becoming the youngest team attorney inMajor League Baseball.[3] In 1995, Davis co-founded and became president of Tribune Media's new investment arm, called Tribune Ventures.[4]
In 1998, Davis joinedAmerica Online as senior vice president of corporate development and was subsequently appointed president/COO of the AOL Interactive Properties Group, where he led the internet brands and businesses of AOL.[5][6] In 2005, Davis and AOL co-founderSteve Case launched venture capital firm Revolution LLC, based inWashington, DC, which—as of March 2022—has invested more than $1.5 billion, including notable early investments inScopely,[7]Zipcar,[8]DraftKings,[9]Sportradar,CLEAR andBigCommerce.[10][11][12]
In 2003, Davis and Case purchased the Miraval Resort and Spa inTucson,Arizona.[13] In 2004, Davis and Case acquired the majority stake of start-up Exclusive Resorts, and Davis served as CEO of the company from 2005 to 2008.[14] In 2016, Davis,Ted Leonsis andPeter Guber led an investment group that acquired majority ownership of esports team Team Liquid, which has twice wonESPN’s e-sports Team of the Year.[1][2]
In 2017, Davis created and launched a new mixed martial arts company called the Professional Fighters League, which presentsMMA in a sports-season format and is broadcast in 160 countries. Davis has since raised $175 million of total capital for the league, including a $65 million financing round in February 2021 with investorsLegends Hospitality, Elysian Park Ventures, Knighthead andAres Management.[15] Davis currently serves as PFL founder and chairman of the board.[16][17]
Davis married Sharon Bowden in 1994. They have three children and reside inGreat Falls, Virginia.[18]