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“Sold My Asset”: Days After $7,000,000,000 Controversy, Brian Davis Claims His Money Is Clean Despite ‘Business Mistakes’

Published 04/23/2023, 9:42 AM EDT

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For almost a year now, the potential sale of the Washington Commanders NFL franchise has taken up considerable headline real estate. Suitors have come and gone. But no deal has yet materialized. Dan Snyder was very close to washing his hands off the Commanders in the last few weeks, as a deal almost materialized with Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris. However, everything changed with the emergence of a new bidder this week, presenting a higher offer than Harris. Former Duke and NBA player Brian Davis came up with an offer very hard to refuse.

Davis’ offer? A billion dollars more than the second-highest bidder, according to the official handlers of the sale, Bank of America. But how did an ex-NBA athlete without the gloried fame or an NBA championship to his name gather this mind-numbing amount in his quest to own the Commanders?

Where is Brian Davis getting his money from?

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Former Timberwolves guard-forward, Brian Davis shocked the entire sporting world when he put up a $7 billion bid to buy the Commanders from current owners Dan and Tanya Snyder. This beats Josh Harris’ $6.05 billion offer by a margin, making this the richest franchise sale in the history of sports. The Denver Broncos sold last year for $4.65 billion. However, ever since Davis’ announcement, speculations have floated surrounding the source of his money. This ranged from LIV Golf like Saudi Arabian investment, to the money coming in from Israel.

Another Billionaire Enters the Washington Commanders Bid Wars After Reports of Jeff Bezos Getting Banned

Brian Davis is the founder of Urban Echo LLC and was the ex-founding member of DC Holdings, the owning company of the Major League Soccer Team, DC United. However, recent civil lawsuits against Urban Echo for non-payment of debt, according to WUSA9, have surfaced to be a major red flag in Davis’ exorbitant bid for the NFC East team.

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Davis explained the source of his bid in a recent interview with WUSA9 sports director, Darren Haynes. “What I can say is that, unlike most, I didn’t file for bankruptcy. I actually sold my asset to pay everyone back. And then I actually have it in a credit agreement that everyone signed to allow me to do that. I’d like to apologize to the public or anyone else I’ve offended or I gave harm to,” Davis said.

What is Davis’ key motivation behind buying the Commanders?

If Dan Snyder accepts Brian Davis’ whopping offer and hands over the keys of ownership, Davis will enter the books as the first black NFL owner in the history of the league. And achieving this milestone for the betterment of his people and his community is what drives him the hardest. “I believe black people do great things and I’m just trying to do something for my people. So I’m going to show them that the money is clean, it’s verifiable, unencumbered. And that’ll allow me to spend more money with the people in my community,” Davis added.

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Haynes also confirmed that Davis has not been offered a bidding tour of the Washington Commanders facility in Maryland, a privilege the other four bidders have enjoyed. Snyder has passed up on heavy hitters like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for less trivial reasons than alleged financial misdoing. Will Davis etch his name in the books as the first black NFL owner?

WATCH THIS STORY: Why did the NFL world remember ex-Commanders star who would have turned 40 yesterday?

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Written by:

Soumyapriyo Ganguly

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Soumyapriyo Ganguly is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. Ganguly (or Rivu, as he is affectionately known) is a sports enthusiast and a comprehensive all-rounder when it comes to dissecting high-profile matchups. He brings his academic background in Economics and Finance to the fore to provide insights into franchise finances and player contracts.
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Edited by:

Abigail Kevichusa