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Mark Attanasio

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Mark Attanasio
Mark Attanasio with his wife at Miller Park
Born (1957-09-29) September 29, 1957 (age 67)
EducationBrown University, A.B. 1979
Columbia Law School, J.D. 1982
Occupation(s)Principal Owner of the Milwaukee Brewers
Majority Shareholder of Norwich City
Senior executive, Crescent Capital Group and Trust Company of the West

Mark L. Attanasio (born September 29, 1957) is an American businessman from the Bronx who is the principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the majority shareholder of EFL Championship football club Norwich City.[1] He is worth an estimated $700 million.[2]

In September 2004, he reached a deal, on behalf of an investment group, to purchase the Brewers from the family of MLB commissioner Bud Selig for an estimated US$223 million.[3] The deal was approved by MLB in 2005.[4]

Early life and education

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Attanasio was born in the Bronx, New York, and grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, where he attended high school.[5] He graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1979 and received his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1982.[6]

Career

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Finance

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Attanasio co-founded and is a senior executive of the Los Angeles alternative investment firm Crescent Capital Group in 1991, which was later bought by Trust Company of the West in 1995.[7] [8]

In 2001, Attanasio joined the board of directors at the telecommunications firm Global Crossing, which filed for bankruptcy in January 2002.[9] He resigned his position on the board shortly thereafter.[10]

Milwaukee Brewers

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In September 2004, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Selig family announced that they had accepted Attanasio's bid to buy the team.[11]

In 2023, the Brewers reached an agreement with Wisconsin lawmakers for taxpayers to subsidize renovations of American Family Field, the Brewers stadium, to the tune of nearly half a billion dollars.[12] In the lead-up to the agreement, Brewers officials threatened to leave Milwaukee unless the team received taxpayer money.[13]

Attanasio (center) presenting a 2011 Silver Slugger Award to Ryan Braun

Norwich City

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In August 2022, it was announced that Attanasio would become a director of Norwich City, an act Attanasio said was his proudest achievement.[14] It was later reported that he would be purchasing an 18% stake in the club from Michael Foulger under the business group Norfolk Holdings.[15] In April 2024, Attanasio’s stake in the club was increased to 40.4% following EFL ratification, making him one of the joint majority shareholders alongside Delia Smith and Michael Wynn-Jones.[1]

On 23 October 2024, Attanasio & Norfolk Holdings became the sole majority shareholders of the club, after the clubs other shareholders approved a deal that saw their stake in the club increase to 85% and decrease Smith & Wynn-Jones stake to 10%. As part of the deal, Attanasio appointed businessman Richard Ressler to the board as a club director, while Smith & Wynn-Jones agreed to step down from their roles as club directors to become honorary life presidents.[16]

Other work

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Along with Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash and former Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets, Attanasio is also a part-owner of the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals.[17]

He was a major sponsor of the widely acclaimed Andy Warhol exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum.[18]

He is also on the board of directors for LA28.

Personal life

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Mark is the brother of television writer Paul Attanasio.[19] He is married to Deborah (née Kaplan) and has two sons, Dan and Mike. His eldest son Dan and his rock band, Pan Am, performed at Summerfest 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Mark Attanasio's Norfolk FB Holdings become joint majority shareholders at Norwich City". BBC Sport. April 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "Wisconsin state Senate approves downsized Milwaukee Brewers stadium repair bill". AP News. November 14, 2023.
  3. ^ "Brewers have doubled in value since Attanasio bought them". www.jsonline.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  4. ^ "Owners approve sale of Brewers for $223M". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  5. ^ Walker, Don. "Brewers' owner Attanasio ready for his rookie season: Long love of game, business experience have prepared him for new role" Archived July 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 4, 2005. Accessed September 4, 2008. "Born in the Bronx, Attanasio and his family moved when he was young to a split-level suburban home in Tenafly, N.J., where Attanasio graduated from high school."
  6. ^ "5 things to know about new Brewers GM Stearns". Press Gazette Media. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  7. ^ Petruno, Tom (July 28, 2010). "TCW agrees to split off Crescent Capital Group". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  8. ^ "History". www.crescentcap.com. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  9. ^ Romero, Simon; Fabrikant, Geraldine (February 23, 2002). "Another Twist at Global as Chairman Quits a Board". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  10. ^ Service, George A. Chidi Jr., IDG News. "Bankrupt Global Crossing issues Q4 warning". Computerworld. Retrieved April 4, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Vrana, Debora (October 4, 2004). "Owning His Dream Team". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  12. ^ "Wisconsin state Senate approves downsized Milwaukee Brewers stadium repair bill". AP News. November 14, 2023.
  13. ^ "Will Milwaukee Brewers look to relocate if state stadium financing package fails?". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  14. ^ "Club issue notice of general meeting to shareholders". Norwich City. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  15. ^ "Norwich City set to appoint Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio to club board". The Athletic. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  16. ^ "Club Statement - October 23, 2024". Norwich City F.C. October 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "Milwaukee Admirals to be sold to new ownership group – Milwaukee – Milwaukee Business Journal". Milwaukee Business Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  18. ^ "Milwaukee Art Museum: Warhol". Milwaukee Art Museum. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  19. ^ Tyler Kepner (September 30, 2011). "Owner Goes All In on the Brewers". The New York Times.
  20. ^ VALLEJOS, TAMARA. "Attanasio's son steps up to plate". www.jsonline.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
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Business positions
Preceded by Owner of the Milwaukee Brewers franchise
2004–present
Incumbent