Yo Gotti is going from the rap game to the football pitch. On Monday, the veteran Memphis artist and CMG record label owner announced that he’s become a co-owner of D.C. United, one of Major League Soccer’s top franchises.
Gotti joins an ownership group that includes former Memphis Grizzlies owners/executives Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan. Also among the D.C. United new owners are Heisman Trophy winner and Houston Texans running back Mark Ingram II, Granite Associates Inc. CEO Adam Gerry, Swansea City A.F.C. co-owner Jake Silverstein and Washington, D.C., businessman Joe Mamo.
Gotti just announced his new business venture on Monday … saying he — alongside 3 other investors — bought ownership of the franchise.
With his investment, Gotti currently owns 2-3% of the team — and BTW, D.C. United is currently worth $750 million.
Gotti’s investment comes shortly after Houston Texans RB Mark Ingram II invested in June to push the team’s value to $710 million.
D.C. United is one of the founding clubs of Major League Soccer. It’s also the most successful franchise in league history, having won the MLS Cup four times (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004), the Supporters’ Shield four times (1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007) and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times (1996, 2008 and 2013).
In a statement announcing his involvement in D.C. United, Gotti said he was “introduced to the game by my son and watched how quickly it has grown in our country, so I’m honored to join the D.C. United ownership group.”
