Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro have a lot in common. The two are American-born tennis stars on the rise, and both have a legitimate chance at winning the 2024 US Open.
The pair also come from incredibly rich families.
Both Pegula and Navarro hail from wealthy backgrounds. The fathers of the two tennis stars are billionaires, with Pegula being the daughter of Terry Pegula and Navarro being the daughter of Ben Navarro.
Neither of the WTA stars have gone into the family business. Instead, Pegula and Navarro are carving a career for themselves on the tennis court, earning their own celebrity status.
Here is a breakdown of the Pegula and Navarro families and how each made their money.
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Who are Jessica Pegula’s parents?
Pegula’s parents are Terry and Kim Pegula. They are the current owners of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and NFL’s Buffalo Bills sports organizations.
How did Terry Pegula make his money?
Pegula made the majority of his money in the oil and gas industry. In 1983, he founded East Resources, a natural gas drilling company. The organization did incredibly well financially thanks to the discovery of natural gas in the Marcellus Formation.
In 2010, Pegula sold the bulk of his assets in the company to Royal Dutch Shell for approximately $4.7 billion, as well as to American Energy Partners, LP for $1.75 billion. He used the money he earned selling East Resource to purchase the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, NLL’s Buffalo Bandits and AHL’s Rochester Americans in 2011, and the Buffalo Bills in 2014.
He formed Pegula Sports and Entertainment, which was the ownership group that overlooked both the Sabres and the Bills. However, the company dissolved in 2023, with Pegula remaining an owner of both franchises but operating the two under separate groups.
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Terry Pegula net worth
Terry Pegula has an estimated net worth of $7.7 billion, according to Forbes.
He is ranked as the 373rd-richest person in the world today.
Who are Emma Navarro’s parents?
Navarro’s parents are Ben and Kelly Navarro.
Ben is the founder of Sherman Financial Group and the owner of Credit One Bank.
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How did Ben Navarro make his money?
Navarro made his money in the credit and debt collection industry. He first joined Citigroup, a multinational investment bank, in 1988, eventually working his way up to vice president. He left the company in 1997.
In 1998, Navarro founded Sherman Financial Group, one of the largest buyers of consumer debt in the United States. He then purchased First National Bank of Marin in 2005, renaming it to Credit One Bank, which is now a major credit card issuer.
In 2021, Navarro founded Beemok Hospitality Collection, a hospitality company that consists of hotels, restaurants and entertainment properties. A majority of his property is in the Charleston, S.C. area, including Charleston Place, the largest hotel in the city.
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Ben Navarro net worth
Ben Navarro has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes.
He is ranked as the 2,108th-richest person in the world today.
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