The Philadelphia Eagles are in the midst of an incredibly successful stretch of the franchise's long history. The Birds are set to play in Super Bowl LIX, appearing in the big game for the second time in the last three years and the third time since 2017. Before 2017, they had appeared in only two Super Bowls since the franchise was founded in 1933. It's been an excellent few years.
In Jeffrey Lurie, who has been the owner of the franchise since 1994, the Eagles have a steady hand at the wheel. He, general manager Howie Roseman, head coach Nick Sirianni, and quarterback Jalen Hurts are the most important people behind the team's latest surge of greatness. And when it comes down to it, arguably none are truly as important as Lurie, who provides the capital to pay for management and the roster while—crucially—letting Roseman his work with no interference. It’s a task that is easier said than done for most NFL owners.
Here's everything to know about Lurie and the Eagles.
Current owners of the Eagles
Jeffrey Lurie is the current owner of the Eagles. He purchased the team alongside his mother, Nancy, in 1994 for a total of $185 million. He has remained the principal owner ever since. However, in today's day and age, Lurie is not the only owner of the Eagles.
While Lurie remains the majority owner and therefore controls enough of the team to make decisions, he sold off 8% of his stake in 2024 to two family trusts. The biggest names involved are Ed Peskowitz, former co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks and founder of United Communications Group, and Susan Kim, chairman of the board for Amkor Technology.
Eagles ownership history
The Eagles were founded by Burt Bell and Lud Wray way back in 1933. They joined the National Football League alongside the Pittsburgh Pirates (who would eventually become the Pittsburgh Steelers) and the Cincinnati Reds (who later folded). Wray actually ended up being the team's first-ever head coach as well as being one of two owners. He lost his ownership stake when the Eagles were put up for auction in 1936 following significant financial losses; Bell was the only bidder and took full control .
In 1940, the Eagles were sold to Alexis Thompson in a confusing sequence called the Pennsylvania Polka. He owned the team for nine years before he sold the Eagles to a syndicate of 100 buyers known as the "Happy Hundred." Each of the 100 shareholders paid $3,000 to buy the team away from Thompson. Under the regime of the Happy Hundred there was no principal owner, but the leader was considered James P. Clark.
In 1963, there were 65 members of the Happy Hundred remaining. They decided that year to sell the team to Jerry Wolman, who purchased the Eagles for just over $5 million. His tenure was brief, however, as the Birds were then sold to Leonard Tose for $16.1 million in 1969.
Tose owned the team over a decade but wound up deep in debt and was forced to sell the Eagles in 1985. Norman Braman was the buyer, forking over $65 million to purchase the franchise.
Then, in 1994, Braman sold the team to Lurie.
How Jeffrey Lurie acquired the Eagles
Lurie spent his pre-ownership career in movies. His grandfather, Philip Smith, was the founder of General Cinema, where Lurie worked as an executive in his early years. He went on to found Chestnut Hill Productions. In the early 1990s he was involved in several sports ownership bids and made his strongest push when the Eagles went up for sale.
To get it done, Lurie took out a loan, per Forbes, to purchase the team for $185 million.
He's controlled the Eagles ever since.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Who Owns the Philadelphia Eagles? Lurie Family Wealth, History Explained.
