Gayle Benson | |
|---|---|
 Benson in 2018 | |
| Born | Gayle Marie LaJaunie January 26, 1947 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businesswoman and sports franchise owner |
| Known for | Principal owner, New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans |
| Spouse(s) | |
Gayle Marie LaJaunie Bird Benson (born January 26, 1947) is an American businesswoman who is the owner of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). She became the principal owner of the Saints and Pelicans following the death of her husband, Tom Benson, in 2018.[3][4][5]
- ^ Nace Anthony Solomone v. Gayle La Jaunie Solomone, Case No. 129-740, Division "A" (La. 24th J.D.C. March 16, 1972) ("On or about August 11, 1970, defendant, Gayle LaJaunie oSalomone, abandoned petitioner by moving out of the matrimonial domicile without lawful cause and since that date has constantly refused to return and/or live with petitioner.").
- ^ Gayle LaJauine Bird v. Thomas Sinnott Bird, Sr., Case No. 86-16643, Section "K," Division "2" (Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans June 25, 1987).
- ^ Allee-Walsh, Brian (June 1, 2018). "First Lady of Sports in New Orleans making her presence felt early and often". sunherald.com. Sun Herald. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- ^ "Gayle Benson becomes Saints, Pelicans owner". ProFootballTalk - NBC Sports. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ White, Jaquetta; Vargas, Ramon Antonio (February 3, 2015). "Tom Benson ups ante in proposal to take Saints, Pelicans out of estranged heirs' trust". theadvocate.com. The New Orleans Advocate. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
Benson's lawyers also said for the first time this week that the entirety of the teams do not reside in those trusts. Attorney Paul Cordes said the various trusts contain 95 percent of the shares of Benson Basketball, the holding company for the Pelicans of the NBA. The trusts also contain 60 percent of the shares of Benson Football, the holding company for the NFL's Saints. The remaining shares are held by Tom Benson, who controls all of the voting shares in both companies. Holders of nonvoting shares typically have little or no voice on corporate matters. Such shares are usually granted to individuals who are willing to invest in the company's profitability and success without receiving voting rights in the company's direction.