Virginia’s son, George Halas McCaskey, is the Chairman of the team and oversees the day-to-day operations the team.
How Did The Chicago Bears Get their Franchise?
In 1920, George Halas made the initial acquisition of the team for $100. His daughter Virginia took over ownership of the team after his death in November 1983. The following in line had been Virginia’s brother, George Halas Jr., but on the final day of the 1979 season, he passed away unexpectedly. Virginia became the oldest NFL owner after Ralph Wilson passed away in 2014. The McCaskey family as a whole is valued at $1.3 billion; franchise value is $2.85 billion. The family’s wealth stems from the Bears, as it owns 80% of the franchise. According to the Owner: Regarding her guiding principles as an NFL owner, Virginia stated in 2018: “Our Hall of Fame General Manager, Jim Finks, used to say, ‘Do the right thing. Those are pretty good words for any situation, including running a professional sports team.”
The family’s elders have resisted being questioned, insisting that control of the team will remain with them all. In 2017, George McCaskey remarked, “I’ve always said it the same way. We have no intention of selling. My brother, Pat, says it very well. The Bears will remain in our possession until the second coming. When he was the Bears’ president, my brother Mike put it very well. We want to discourage people from even making inquiries. We have no intention [of selling]. There is no price. We have no intention.” Political Donations: Over the past few years, Virginia McCaskey has been a consistent donor, giving more than $70K in total. She has donated a few thousand dollars to local politicians, most notably $2K for Andrew McKenna’s 2003–2004 Senate campaign. A minority owner named Andrew McKenna Sr. is McKenna’s father. She contributed $4K between 2009 and 2010 to Family PAC Federal, a pro-Republican organisation that has funded the campaigns of candidates like Marco Rubio and Rand Paul.
Despite her contributions generally leaning to the right, she hasn’t been associated with any significant politicians directly. The next person in line is Virginia, who is the principal holder of 80% of the Bears and represents her 13 children and grandchildren. The remaining 20% is jointly owned by Patrick Ryan, founder of the consulting firm Aon, which had its New York offices in the WTC in September 2001 and was sponsored by Manchester United until 2014, and Andrew McKenna Sr., a former director and chairman of McDonald’s. Aon’s former director at the company is McKenna Sr. The first non-Halas to hold the position of president and CEO is Ted Phillips (Virginia is known for being hands-off).
The following in line is probably George McCaskey, the team’s current chairman. Virginia, however, also has a choice of nine additional children and numerous grandchildren. Tim, her second-eldest child, passed away in 2011.
Does Aaron Rodgers actually own the Bears?
Rodgers does not actually own the Bears, despite what Packers supporters, Wiki, and the man himself claim.
Who owns the Chicago Bears?
The owner of the Chicago Bears officially speaking is Virginia Halas McCaskey. McCaskey, who is 98 years old, is the oldest child of late owner George Halas, who left the team to her when he passed away in 1983. Despite having 80% of the organisation under her control, her official title is secretary of the board of directors.
Who is the NFL’s longest-tenured owner?
In all of the major U.S. sports leagues, McCaskey has owned a team for the longest time. He is also the oldest owner of a team. In 1983, McCaskey’s husband, Ed McCaskey, served as the group’s chairman and treasurer. Despite having no actual ownership interest, he worked with Virginia to co-manage the team until his passing in 2003. Since then, there hasn’t been any more activity regarding a potential sale. There has been no additional movement about possible selling since.
Who is the Bears’ 20% remaining owner?
Another significant minority shareholder in the Bears is Patrick Ryan. His and his business partner Andy McKenna’s ownership of the franchise is 19.7%. George Halas McCaskey, Virginia’s son who was named chairman in 2011, and Ted Phillips, who has served as president and CEO since 1999, are two other notable members of the Bears’ front office.
