Why U.S. billionaire and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke is known as “the most hated man in Missouri”

The celebrations continue in north west London after Arsenal pipped Manchester City to the Premier League title. It’s been a long wait for the Gunners, who were last crowned English champions 22 years ago, Quietly savoring the moment from the sidelines was Stan Kroenke, the man who took ownership of the club in 2018 - this was the latest success for his Kroenke Sports & Entertainment portfolio which includes NBA franchise the Denver Nuggets and NFL team, the Los Angeles Rams. among others.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could yet deliver another piece of silverware this weekend as they face PSG in the Champions League final.

Another jewel in Kroenke‘s empire

Arsenal’s title victory figures high up among the sporting achievements which Kroenke’s teams have enjoyed. The Nuggets lifted their 12th NBA Championship in 2023, NHL franchise Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup and the LA Rams beat the Bengals at Super Bowl LVI.

All of that cemented Kroenke‘s status as one of the most influential and wealthiest owners in American sport. But not everyone is a fan of the 78-year-old real estate tycoon.

Back in 2019, some Arsenal supporters groups had their reservations when Kroneke secured a majority stake in the club, voicing their concern that the club was “starting to feel like an investment vehicle, personified by the owner’s statement that he didn’t buy Arsenal to win trophies”.

St. Louis stadium issues

In Kroneke’s home state Missouri, the resentment goes even deeper. He played a role in helping Rams owner Georgia Frontiere relocate the team from Orange County to St Louis in 1995. The Rams started the first season playing at Busch Memorial Stadium as their new stadium, the Dome, was still under construction. The Rams signed a long-term lease with operators the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission to secure the Dome as their base.

However, there was an exit clause written into the lease which required the Dome to be ranked in the top quartile of NFL stadiums through 2015. If it didn’t meet those requirements, the Rams would be free to relocate again. Unfortunately, as an NFL stadium, the Dome was ranked among the worst in the country.

Kroenke fails to keep his word

In January 2014, two years before the deadline, Kroenke purchased a 60-acre plot of land in Inglewood, California and announced plans to build an NFL stadium on the site - ignoring the pleas of Rams fans to construct a state-of-the-art venue in downtown St. Louis.

Two years later in 2016, Kroenke moved the Rams back to LA, and to their new $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium home, which incensed the fans. Local newspaper headlines read: “The Most Hated Man in Missouri”. Sports journalist Bernie Miklasz wrote: “I simply underestimated Kroenke’s greed, especially after he expressed pride in his Missouri roots and honorable reputation while telling me in 2010 that he’d never lead the charge out of St. Louis to Los Angeles”.

The move triggered a massive lawsuit from the city, which argued it would suffer major financial losses tied to stadium bonds and the Edward Jones Dome.

After years of legal battles, Kroenke agreed in 2021 to pay $790 million to settle the case but many in St. Louis haven’t forgiven or forgotten.

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