Updated: July 15, 3:10 p.m.
Fox Business’ Charles Gasparino reports that Sheldon Adelson has no interest in buying any stake in the New York Mets.
According to his reporting, Harris and Blitzer approached Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands casino company last week about casino development in the area. Adelson would likely invest in that venture, but would not be looking to have a stake in the Mets.
Additionally, the following is a statement from Silver Lake:
“Any claim that Silver Lake is making or joining a bid for the NY Mets is entirely false and inaccurate.”
Gasparino also reports that Steve Cohen remains the favorite to land the Mets, with Harris and Blitzer being in second as of now. The Alex Rodriguez group appears to be behind at this point.
Original Post:
Throughout the last couple weeks, there has always been mention of a “mystery bidder” in the auction for the New York Mets. It has been unclear who that bidder was, or if they were instead just being floated in the media to create leverage in the sale.
Now the mystery has been revealed and it has the chance to shake up the dynamics of this sale entirely.
Many theorized that no one could contend with the wealth of Steve Cohen, but Sheldon Adelson changes that for the Harris and Blitzer group. Adelson is a billionaire casino mogul, who is the CEO and chairman of Las Vegas Sands. The casino company is a $14 billion gambling empire, of which Adelson owns more than half.
According to the New York Post, Adelson is joining the investment group headed by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, giving them more capital to bid against Cohen. Along with Adelson, the private equity giant Silver Lake Partners is joining the investment group as well, created a great influx of cash for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
Both Adelson and Silver Lake have been rumored to have interest in sports franchises in the past, with Silver Lake even making a push to by the New York Knicks from James Dolan in 2019. Adelson is a divisive figure, who could have problems getting approved by the MLB owners. But as a limited partner, he could have a stake in the teams without needing to get that same approval.
According to Fox Business correspondent Charles Gasparino, there is talk surrounding the Harris Blitzer group that they plan on purchasing the Mets as part of a bigger plan to develop casinos in the area. If that were to be the case, Adelson’s partnership in the group makes a lot of sense.
Adelson is worth $31.8 billion according to Forbes.com and the Silver Lake Partners is reportedly a $43 million fund. Between those two new players, the Harris Blitzer group suddenly looks like a real player to land the New York Mets.
