Sherwood News

The NFL just opened itself up to some very deep-pocketed investors

After all, there are only so many billionaires to buy teams

8/28/24 9:58AM

Yesterday, a special meeting of the 32 NFL team owners approved a measure allowing select private equity firms to purchase up to a 10% stake in a team, loosening a long-standing ownership restriction.

The move comes as NFL franchises reach stratospheric valuations, with the Dallas Cowboys — a team that hasn't clinched a Super Bowl since 1996 — recently becoming the first team to reach a $10 billion valuation, per Sportico.

Allowing pooled institutional investment seems like a no-brainer. After all, there are only so many billionaires capable of buying teams, with the average NFL franchise now worth a staggering ~$6 billion.

By opening the doors to private equity, the NFL is unlocking a treasure trove of capital: according to data compiled by S&P Global, private equity and venture capital funds currently hold a record $2.6 trillion in uncommitted capital, often referred to as "dry powder".

This enormous sum is burning a hole in the pockets of some firms. After convincing investors to entrust them with their money, which many PE shops did very successfully during massive fundraising efforts in 2020-2021, they then have to actually do something with it — people don’t typically like paying management fees while their money is parked on the sidelines.

However, faced with only being able to build a 10% stake in a team, a hypothetical investment of ~$600 million would barely scratch the surface for the largest funds. Investing in multiple teams might help them deliver the impact they want, with the new NFL rules allowing funds to invest in up to 6 individual teams.

Max Knoblauch12m

The Trump administration is reportedly planning a 50% made-in-America requirement for USMCA tariff relief

Qualifying for USMCA-related lower tariffs may soon require more US-made vehicle components, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to introduce a 50% US content requirement for vehicles covered by the trade pact to receive lower tariffs. The content would be measured by cost, according to the WSJ.

There currently isn’t any US-specific requirement for those lower tariff rates, but in order to receive preferential tariffs, vehicles are must contain at least 75% regional content (components made in North America). Per Reuters reporting, the Trump admin is seeking to raise the Regional requirement to 82%.

These reported plans are subject to change as the US negotiates USMCA terms with Mexico over the next few months.

Overall, Tesla will likely have the easiest time qualifying for any stricter requirements. The automaker’s vehicles contained the highest amount of US/Canadian content in 2025, according to American University research. Ford, GM, and Stellantis all scored lower. Notably: the underlying government data that many domestic content measurements rely on intentionally combines US and Canadian components, so it’s difficult to know exactly how much of any given vehicle is specifically US-made.

Exclusive | Trump Administration Wants Autos Under USMCA to Be at Least 50% Made in America

These reported plans are subject to change as the US negotiates USMCA terms with Mexico over the next few months.

Tom Jones6h

The $640,000 Luce makes the average Ferrari look like a bargain

Put aside the shape; put aside the smoothing out of Ferrari’s iconic sharp edges; put aside, even, the calls from former Chairman and President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo to “take the Prancing Horse off.” On the grounds of price alone, Luce detractors might have a point.

By now, many of us will have read the criticisms of Ferrari’s first fully electric vehicle, as the Luce — which was unveiled to the world earlier this week and promptly saw the company’s shares crash out in New York and Milan — gets subtly shaded by competitors online and not-so-subtly shaded by basically everyone else.

What makes all of this worse for Ferrari is that, even by the luxury car maker’s notoriously high standards, they’ve slapped a pretty hefty price tag on the Luce, and the company’s CEO, Benedetto Vigna, has already been forced to defend the €550,000 ($640,000) price point, saying yesterday that it’s “fair to pay for innovation,” per Reuters.

While Ferrari’s cars have been getting more expensive of late, as recently as 2022, Ferrari’s average revenue per car sold was around $340,000. At nearly twice that price, this new electric model is obviously proving a little much (visually, conceptually, and financially) for many loyal and long-standing fans of the Prancing Horse to stomach.