Stan Kroenke

Stan Kroenke

E. Stanley Kroenke is a prominent American businessman known for his expansive portfolio in sports, real estate, and entertainment. Born on July 29, 1947, in Columbia, Missouri, Kroenke graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in business and economics. He founded the Kroenke Group in 1983, a real estate development firm specializing in commercial and retail projects. His success extended into sports through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), which owns multiple teams, including Arsenal FC in the Premier League, the Denver Nuggets in the NBA, the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL, and the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL. Kroenke played a pivotal role in relocating the Rams to Los Angeles and developing the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Beyond sports, Kroenke’s influence includes significant real estate ventures, such as the Hollywood Park development, encompassing the iconic SoFi Stadium, retail spaces, offices, and residential units. With a net worth exceeding $14 billion as of 2024, his investments reflect a blend of entrepreneurial foresight and strategic acquisitions. Kroenke’s leadership extends to his international sports ventures and innovations in sports facilities, marking him as a transformative figure in both business and athletics.

Stan Kroenke is the Owner and Chairman of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) who became a shareholder of Arsenal in May 2007 and was appointed to the Board of Directors in September 2008. KSE became the majority shareholder of Arsenal Football Club in April 2011 and acquired 100 percent ownership of the Club in 2018.

As the head of KSE, Stan owns a number of North American sports teams, venues, radio and television networks. His sports franchises include the 2021 Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League, the 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, and the Champions of the 2022 National Lacrosse League, the Colorado Mammoth.

Arsenal Football Club

Arsenal Football Club is an English professional football club based in Islington, North London. Arsenal play in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (including one unbeaten title), a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, 16 FA Community Shields, one European Cup Winners’ Cup, and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. In terms of trophies won, it is the third-most successful club in English football.

Arsenal was the first club from the South of England to join the Football League in 1893, and they reached the First Division in 1904. Relegated only once, in 1913, they continue the longest streak in the top division and have won the second-most top-flight matches in English football history. In the 1930s, Arsenal won five League Championships and two FA Cups, and another FA Cup and two Championships after the war. In 1970–71, they won their first League and FA Cup Double. Between 1989 and 2005, they won five League titles and five FA Cups, including two more Doubles. They completed the 20th century with the highest average league position. Between 1998 and 2017, Arsenal qualified for the UEFA Champions League for nineteen consecutive seasons.

In 1886, munitions workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich founded the club Dial Square. In 1913 the club crossed the city to Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, becoming close neighbours of Tottenham Hotspur, and creating the North London derby. Herbert Chapman, who changed the fortunes of Arsenal forever, won the club its first silverware, and his legacy led the club to dominate the 1930s. He helped introduce the WM formation, floodlights, and shirt numbers; he also added white sleeves and brighter red to the club’s jersey. Arsène Wenger is the longest-serving manager and won the most trophies. He won a record seven FA Cups, and his title-winning team set an English record for the longest top-flight unbeaten league run at 49 games between 2003 and 2004, receiving the nickname The Invincibles.

In 2006, the club moved to the nearby Emirates Stadium. With an annual revenue of £367.1m in the 2021–22 season, Arsenal was estimated to be worth US$2.26 billion by Forbes, making it the world’s tenth most valuable football club, while it is one of the most followed on social media. The motto of the club is Victoria Concordia Crescit, Latin for “Victory Through Harmony”.