Jerry Richardson, the founder of the Carolina Panthers and, until a scandal forced him to sell the franchise, one of the NFL’s most powerful owners, has passed away. He was 86.
According to a statement from the team, Richardson passed away peacefully on Wednesday night at his home in Charlotte.
Richardson acquired the expansion Panthers in 1993, making him the first ex-NFL player to acquire a team since George Halas of Chicago.
After charges of sexual harassment and a claim that he called an African-American scout a racial slur surfaced in 2018, he sold the squad.
According to a Sports Illustrated report citing unnamed individuals, Richardson allegedly said things to women that were sexually provocative.
Richardson was also penalized $2.75 million by the league for the allegations of misbehavior.
Richardson, a former Baltimore Colts player, became a restaurant mogul. In 1994, his business Flagstar paid a reported $54.4 million to settle a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by one of his chains, Denny’s.
In 1993, Richardson and his ownership group paid $206 million for an expansion NFL team. He was the team’s only owner until Tepper paid $2.2 billion for it in 2018.
The Panthers debuted in 1995 but have yet to fulfill Richardson’s promise of winning a Super Bowl. They were eliminated after the 2003 and 2015 seasons.
Jerry Richardson’s Net Worth At Time Of Death
Jerry Richardson’s net worth at the time of his death is $2 billion dollars. Our thoughts to go to the family and loved ones at this difficult time.