Credit: Kirthmon F. Dozier/USA Today network
Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores has agreed to buy a 27% stake in the Los Angeles Chargers, according to a report from ESPN on Friday. This deal includes 24% owned by Dea Spanos Berberian and 1% each from her three siblings, Dean, Michael, and Alexis Spanos Ruhl. The deal still needs final approval from NFL owners and is expected to be discussed at the league meetings in Atlanta next month.
Spanos Family Legal Battle Resolved
The Spanos siblings each agreed to sell 1% of their shares for estate planning reasons, a source said. Neither the NFL nor the Chargers have commented on the transaction.
The sale would bring an end to years of legal disputes within the Spanos family. Berberian had filed multiple lawsuits since 2021, seeking to force the sale of the Chargers. As part of this agreement, Berberian will drop her lawsuits against the Chargers and Dean Spanos, a source added.
After the sale, Dean Spanos will retain control of the team, and the three siblings will collectively own 69% of the franchise. The remaining 4% is owned by non-family members.
Gores Expands Sports Investments
This marks the second sports franchise in which Gores holds an ownership stake, having purchased the Pistons in 2011 through his private equity firm, Platinum Equity. Gores later bought out the firm’s shares, becoming the full owner. The Chargers deal will be a personal investment for Gores and will not involve Platinum Equity. He will not have any governance rights over the team.
This sale is significant as it’s the first major deal since the NFL approved private equity firms to buy up to 10% of franchises, although this particular deal does not involve a private equity firm.
Alex Spanos originally bought the Chargers in 1984, and Dean Spanos took over running the team in 1994. Family tensions became public in 2021 when Berberian filed a petition to sell the team’s trust, and a lawsuit followed in 2022 accusing Dean of “misogynistic” behavior and breaches of fiduciary duty.
In response, Dean, Alexis, and Michael Spanos defended their actions, saying they were fulfilling their parents’ wishes regarding ownership of the Chargers. In a statement, they called Berberian’s accusations false, and Alexis Spanos Ruhl also issued a statement defending her brother, saying he had been “unfailingly respectful” and committed to honoring the family’s legacy.
