Tom benson was an American businessman. For most people, his name will be more familiar to them, as he owned two sports franchises in the Big Four Leagues. One was the New Orleans Saints in the NFL, while the other was the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA. Here are 10 things you might know about Tom Benson:
1.Has very strong roots in New Orleans
Considering that he is both the owner of the New Orleans Pelicans and the New Orleans Pelicans, it should come as no surprise to learn that Benson was deeply rooted in New Orleans. For example, he was born in the late 20s. Also, it was both where he went to school and where he started his own business.
2. I went to Loyola University New Orleans
Educationally, Benson went to Loyola University New Orleans. The name of the school refers to Saint Ignatius of Loyola, one of the co-founders of the Jesuits. In addition, it is interesting to note that Ignatius of Loyola is also considered a patron saint of soldiers, spiritual retreats, as well as two Basque provinces in Spain.
3. Studied accounting
Subject-wise, Benson studied accounting, which is a popular topic for people new to professional life. In large part, this is because accounting encompasses the specialized language used to communicate information about an organization's finances to interested people. As such, even if the people involved may not be concerned with accounting processes, they still need to understand the topic in order to be able to give an idea of a company's performance.
4. debuts in car dealerships
Benson got his start at car dealerships. To be exact, he was a Chevrolet salesman in New Orleans. Eventually, Benson headed to San Antonio to try and revive another car dealership that wasn't doing so well, which resulted in him getting a 25% ownership exchange for his efforts. Benson subsequently owned several auto dealerships in the New Orleans metro area and in the San Antonio metro district.
5. Get involved in banks
That said, Benson's business empire was not limited to car dealerships, as evidenced by the way he managed to grow his fortune through banking. In short, he invested a large portion of the profits of his car dealerships in a number of local banks. After some time, Benson succeeded in consolidating a number of southern banks into Benson Financial, which he then sold to Norwest Corporation in 1996. That said, it was not the end of it. his involvement in the bank, seeing how he got back there in 2003.
6. Isn't football interesting
Interestingly, Benson wasn't as interested in football when he decided to buy the New Orleans Saints. Instead, he bought the team because he learned from Gov. Edwin W. Edwards that the then owner was considering selling to buyers who were considering moving it to Jacksonville, Fla. . Benson knew it would have been a blow to his hometown. That's why he decided to do something good for the place where he started.
7. Its popularity has seen increases and decreases
That said, Benson's popularity in his hometown has seen its ups and downs. In particular, two incidents should be noted. One of them was when he suggested moving the team due to failed attempts to convince the state to build a new stadium for them. Another was related to Hurricane Katrina.
8. Seems to have thought of moving the Saints from New Orleans to San Antonio
Benson is rumored to be considering moving the Saints from New Orleans to San Antonio even before Hurricane Katrina because of his ties to the region. The New Orleans Saints began playing in San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina rendered the Superdome unusable, fueling rumors, especially since reports that authorities in Benson and San Antonio would have been interested in making the move permanent. In the end, Benson remained without a commitment on the matter for four months, which sparked controversy among prominent figures, from FEMA officials to NFL superiors, before making the decision to stay in New Orleans.
9. Was interested in other sports franchises
In addition to the NFL, Benson has also shown great interest in other sports franchises in other sports leagues. Overall, his purchase of the New Orleans Hornets, which became New Orleans Pelicans, is the best known example. However, Benson had previously been involved in an attempt to turn a minor league baseball team, the Charlotte Knights, into a replacement for the former New Orleans team called the New Orleans Pelicans, as well as the creation of the New Orleans VooDoo in the Arena Football League.
10. Engaged in a nasty legal battle near the end of his life
Towards the end of his life, Benson was embroiled in a very ugly legal battle. What happened is that he ousted his daughter and two children from running his business empire, instead leaving everything to his third wife. Because of this, her daughter and two children sued, claiming that Benson was no longer competent enough to make such decisions, which is perhaps not surprising given the huge sums that were at stake. In the end, neither party to the conflict got everything they wanted. However, the exact details of the settlement in 2017 were never fully disclosed to interested parties, which means that much remains to be determined.
