Soros Joins Bid To Buy Nationals
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WASHINGTON – Billionaire George Soros has joined one of the groups bidding for the Washington Nationals, the latest big name in a competition that has become as much about clout as money.
Soros and his Soros Fund Management have become partners in the Big Train Holdco Bid, led by Washington entrepreneur and former Washington Capitals part-owner Jon Ledecky.
Last week, former Secretary of State Colin Powell joined the Washington Baseball Club bid led by Fred Malek and Jeffrey Zients. Peter Fitzgerald, a former Republican senator from Illinois, recently became a partner in a bid group from Northern Virginia that also changed leadership, with Sallie Mae chairman Albert Lord taking over from former telecommunications executive William Collins.
After months of little activity, the sale of the Nationals moved forward Tuesday when seven groups submitted bids for the club that is owned by the other 29 major league teams. The commissioner’s office is expected to take a week or two to analyze the bids before informing the groups of the next step.
The sale price of the Nationals is expected to easily top $300 million.
