MLB
Who is John Fisher, the owner who is moving the Athletics to Las Vegas? Net worth, business, family...
The Oakland Athletics are moving to the city of Las Vegas, after the Major League Baseball owners approved the change. Owner John Fisher sent an apology to fans.
John Fisher is the most disliked man in the city of Oakland, some would say, following the approval by Major League Baseball owners of the billionaire’s proposal to relocate to the city of Las Vegas, leaving the Californian city without another franchise. The A’s will play their last home game in Oakland on Thursday.
The owner of the Oakland Athletics, the San Jose Earthquakes, and a rodeo franchise, Fisher has become the most hated figure in Oakland after snatching away their last sports team in the city. Now, you may be wondering: Who is John Fisher? The reality is that he has not earned a good reputation, and even media outlets in the United States have criticized his management as the franchise owner.
John Fisher’s fortunes
According to Forbes, Fisher has a fortune of $3 billion, attributed to his partnership in the clothing company Gap, as the youngest son of the company’s founders. However, in addition to Gap, he is also a founding partner of the investment firm Sansome Partners and serves on the board of directors of the Silicon Schools Fund.
He stepped down from Gap’s board of directors in May 2022 but his siblings Robert and William remain on the board. He was 1104th in the Billionaires’ list for 2024.
Earthquakes, Scottish football and the A’s relocation to Las Vegas
He is the majority owner of the Oakland Athletics, the San Jose Earthquakes, and Scottish Premiership soccer club Celtic. One of the major criticisms is that he does not sign renowned free agents, and he has consistently refused to invest in Oakland for a new stadium.
The upshot is that the A’s are now, moving from their Oakland base of the last 56 years to relocate to Las Vegas. The team will will play their final home game at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday September 26 and their last game as the Oakland A’s three days later in Seattle.
The A’s will spend the next three seasons playing home games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento while their $1.5 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is being built.
“I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness,” Fisher said in a letter to fans. “Though I wish I could speak to each one of you individually, I can tell you this from the heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry.”