What is Ozzie Silna's Net Worth?
Ozzie Silna was an American businessman who had a net worth of $150 million. Ozzie Silna began his professional career in the textile industry, and built a polyester empire in the 60s and early 70s. He and his brother, Daniel had always dreamed of owning a basketball team, and they purchased the American Basketball League's Carolina Cougars in 1974. Their plan was to move the Cougars to the NBA, when the ABA and NBA merged. They moved the entire team to St. Louis, Missouri, in the hope that that would make their inclusion in the NBA more viable. They renamed the team the Spirits of St. Louis, and the team played through the 1976 season. The franchise ultimately folded without ever joining the NBA, releasing some incredibly talented players to other teams. Ozzie Silna and his brother negotiated a deal in which they received $2.2 million upfront and 1/7 of the four remaining ABA team's television revenue in perpetuity. The end result is that, after the eventual merger with the NBA, the Silnas have earned nearly $300 million in profits from television revenue. The NBA has repeatedly tried to renegotiate the deal with little luck.
Craig Barrett, President of Intel and Ozzie Silna (Photo by Dale Wilcox/via Getty)
