PHOENIX — A group led by Josh Harris has submitted a bid to purchase the Washington Commanders, sources told Front Office Sports.
Harris, who owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, entered a bid between $5.5 billion and $6 billion, one source with knowledge of the process told FOS.
A couple of hours after the first report that Harris had bid on the Commanders, ESPN reported that Canadian real estate executive Steve Apostolopoulos had also bid $6 billion.
FOS was unable to confirm Apostolopoulos’s bid. One source said while Apostolopoulos may have bid, there are questions over whether he has the financial wherewithal to be considered a serious contender for the Commanders.
Harris visited the team’s facilities before last month’s Super Bowl. In the weeks since, Harris rounded out his group with fellow billionaire and D.C.-area native Mitchell Rales and NBA legend Magic Johnson.
Harris had been a contender for the franchise since owner Dan Snyder and his wife, Tanya Snyder, announced in November that they had hired Bank of America to explore options that could lead to a full or partial sale. Snyder purchased the Commanders for $800 million in 1999.
A spokesperson for Harris declined to comment.
The other billionaires interested in the club include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, and Apostolopoulos.
The news comes during what is expected to be the final day of the NFL’s annual owners’ meetings, where multiple owners told FOS that they were in the dark about the sale.
