What is Dean Spanos' Net Worth?
Dean Spanos is an American businessman who has a net worth of $1 billion. Dean Spanos is the chairman and owner of the National Football League's Los Angeles Chargers franchise. He is the son of Alex Spanos who bought a majority stake in the team in 1984. Dean took over daily operations in 1994, becoming president and CEO, until he passed down operations to his own sons in 2015. Dean took over full ownership of the Chargers after his father's death in 2018.
Early Life
Dean Alexander Spanos was born on May 26, 1950, in Stockton, California, to parents of Greek ancestry, Alex Spanos and Faye Papafaklis. Dean attended Lincoln High School where he earned varsity letters in football and golf and received a Lincoln High Hall of Fame award. Spanos graduated from the University of the Pacific in 1972 with a BA in business administration.
Career
In early 1994, Dean Spanos was named team president and chief executive officer of the Chargers by his father. Under Dean's leadership, the team won 113 games between 2004 and 2014 including five AFC West championships and four playoff wins. It was in May 2015 that Dean passed control of the team to his sons, John and A.G., as he stayed on as chairman to oversee a failed new stadium process. The Chargers decided to relocate to Los Angeles after a proposed ballot measure for a hotel tax financed stadium plan in downtown San Diego failed. Spanos exercised the option to move in January 2017, and the decision was met with criticism by the locals for being unable to find a stadium solution in the city, despite 15 years of failed proposals blocked by city officials and business leaders.
The team took temporary headquarters in Costa Mesa on a 10-year lease until a permanent home in Los Angeles was acquired. They played the 2017 through 2019 seasons at the Dignity Health Sports Park (StubHub Center) soccer stadium. Construction was completed on the Chargers' new stadium, SoFi Stadium, in 2020. The venue is owned and operated by StadCo LA, LLC., a joint partnership with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and the Los Angeles Chargers, and is shared with the Los Angeles Rams.
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Philanthropy
In 1999, the Spanos family launched Chargers Champions through the Community Foundation to support local schools. In 2011, Dean held a fundraiser for Rick Perry at an event in Sacramento, and in 2014, the family donated $500,000 to the University of California, San Diego for the Alex G. Spanos Athletic Performance Center. This brought their total support to $1.6 million. Dean also led the Chargers to partner with the Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of his wife who is a breast cancer survivor. Dean created The Chargers Champions All-Star Gala to recognize high school students and educators in San Diego. In 2017, Spanos and the Chargers donated $500,000 to hurricane relief in wake of the Hurricane Harvey aftermath.
Personal Life
Dean married Suzie in 1977, and they had two sons, Alexander Gus and John Dean, who followed in the family's footsteps and eventually took over team controls.
Dean received the Harold Leventhal Community Service Award and the Ellis Island medal of Honor. He was inducted into the DeMolay International Alumni Hall of Fame and was presented the Community Champions Award along with his wife Susie from the San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum.
