William Davidson
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- This article is about the billionaire and sports team owner. For the first Scottish settler on the Miramichi River in Canada, see William Davidson (lumberman). For the Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Canada, please see William Davidson (politician).
William Morse Davidson, J.D. (born December 5 1922, Detroit, Michigan) is an entrepreneur and professional sports owner.
He is the chairman of Guardian Industries Corp., , one of the world's largest manufacturers of architectural and automotive glass. He is also the chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, principal owner of the Detroit Pistons of the NBA, the Detroit Shock of the WNBA, and the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. His Pistons won the 1989, 1990, and 2004 NBA Finals; his Shock won the 2003 & 2006 WNBA Finals; his Lightning won the 2004 Stanley Cup. His combined business ventures have led him to an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion.
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[edit] Biography
A longtime basketball fan, Davidson purchased the Pistons in 1974 from Fred Zollner for $7 million. Displeased with the team's location in downtown Detroit, Davidson relocated the team to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1978 and then to The Palace of Auburn Hills, an arena financed entirely with private funds, in 1988. Today, the value of the Pistons franchise has been estimated in excess of $284 million[1]. Davidson can regularly be seen at the team's home games.
In 1999, Davidson put in an unsuccessful bid to purchase the Tampa Bay Lightning and gain a controlling interest in their home arena, the Ice Palace. They lost to insurance tycoon Art Williams, but only months later Williams sold the team to Davidson and Palace Sports at a huge loss. When Davidson acquired the Lightning franchise in 1999, the price was $100 million; its value has recently been estimated at $136 million.
Despite his age and what many fans referred to as a "sweet old man" image, Davidson proved those fans wrong. At a highly publicized victory parade in downtown Detroit (after the Pistons won the 2004 Championship), he refuted skeptics of the team by declaring "Bullshit!" The incident was captured by live TV across the nation and was not censored.
Davidson was honored by the Pistons in 2006 when he was given a banner next to the team's retired numbers. His name was also placed on the Palace floor along with Piston legends Dave Bing, Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Chuck Daly, Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, and Bob Lanier.
[edit] Philanthropic activities
A noted philanthropist, Davidson has given extensively to various organizations. The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan was created at Davidson's alma mater, the Ross School of Business, following a gift of $30 million. Davidson's cumulative gifts to the school exceed $70 million. In addition, Davidson funds the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. The excavations on the southern wall of the temple mount in Jerusalem have been named the Davidson excavations in tribute to his generous donations to the project. He is also a contributor to the Wexner Foundation which gives grants to post-undergrad students of Jewish Studies.
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Categories: 1922 births | Living people | Billionaires | American businesspeople | American entrepreneurs | Stanley Cup champions | Detroit Pistons | Detroit Shock | Tampa Bay Lightning | Forbes 400 | National Hockey League executives | National Basketball Association executives | People from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan | People from Detroit | University of Michigan alumni | Women's National Basketball Association executives | 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Championship Team
