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Alex Rodriguez and Ex-Fiancee Jennifer Lopez Made a Seismic $100 Million Bet Before Failed $2.4 Billion Dream

Published 03/02/2023, 12:17 PM EST

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Dreaming costs nothing. One can imagine literally anything. Walking on the moon, being a rockstar, owning a baseball team – nothing is impossible. That’s why they’re dreams. Some are lucky enough to achieve them while the universe throws other people’s plans down the drain. And no matter how hard they tried, that is exactly what happened to Alex Rodriguez and his then-partner Jennifer Lopez.

The former ‘it’ couple was one of the biggest celebrity pairings the country had ever seen. For the four years they dated, Lopez and Rodriguez made their fans believe in true love, even if things ultimately went up in flames. Both icons in their own fields, A-Rod and J-Lo, always had big bills coming in. And in the hopes of investing that money, they took on various ventures. But there was always one that got away.

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez made a $100 million bet for the Mets

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The New York Mets have not won a World Series championship in more than half a century. In fact, despite their impressive roster year after year, the Queens team last won in 1969. It remains a sore point for the organization and J-Lo and A-Rod bet on that fact in 2020.

“…Use of a Private Jet”: Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez’s List of Demands to New York Mets Would’ve Even Put Derek Jeter to Shame

The couple was determined to own the team – the former Yankee would head the baseball side of things while the singer would oversee branding and entertainment. It was a dream team, as Lopez insisted. However, there were rumors of their group not being taken seriously because of Rodriguez’s history with PEDs usage and consequent suspension from MLB. And yet, the ex-couple made a last-ditch effort to impress the Wilpon/Katz.

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A $100 million dollars! That’s the amount the celebrities bet for the Mets. And not only the eye-popping amount but a guarantee of a World Series win in the next decade or less under their ownership. Of course, we now know their efforts were ultimately rendered futile, but it was a good team effort.

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What would it have meant if the Rodriguez-Lopez group had won ownership of the Mets?

Billionaire Steve Cohen, who had once before declared his intentions regarding the Queens team, ultimately won the ownership war. He already had an 8% stake in the company and simply needed 23 out of 30 votes at the final stage. Which he obviously ended up receiving, much to the annoyance of Lopez and Rodriguez. But before the news was final, Lopez famously quoted the former baseball catcher Yogi Berra.

“It ain’t over until it is over,” Lopez told The New York Post. “We are New Yorkers and we are not going to give up. We feel we have the best bid for the sport, the team and the city.”

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WATCH THIS STORY – From Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez To Derek Jeter: Here Are The Top-5 Richest MLB Players Of All Time 

If indeed the couple had succeeded, J-Lo would have become the first Latina to hold such a significant position in MLB. But despite the insider trading and gender discrimination charges against Cohen, his offer won.

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Written by:

Arunima Bhanot

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Arunima Bhanot is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. Having earned an English literature degree from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, Arunima has always been interested in writing. She's a fan of archery and was the captain of her college team for two years running. She's an avid reader who also loves photography and travel, and you can find her talking constantly about books and anime on her Instagram!
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Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar