Gayle Benson is an American billionaire businesswoman, philanthropist, and owner of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. A New Orleans native, she assumed control of both franchises after the death of her husband, Tom Benson, in 2018, becoming one of the most powerful women in professional sports and a major civic force in Louisiana through sports ownership, business leadership, Catholic philanthropy, and Gulf South community development.

Jessica Steinbrenner, vice chairperson and general partner of the New York Yankees, is one of the heirs to the Steinbrenner family sports fortune built by her father, George Steinbrenner. Unlike her brother Hal, who oversees day-to-day operations, she developed a parallel identity outside baseball through Kinsman Farm in Ocala, Florida, where she became active in thoroughbred horse breeding and equestrian circles while retaining ownership influence inside one of the world’s most valuable sports franchises.

Vincent Viola, founder of Virtu Financial, built one of the most sophisticated electronic trading firms in global markets by leveraging high-speed technology and quantitative strategies. A former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Viola transformed Virtu into a major liquidity provider across equities, currencies, and derivatives worldwide. Known for combining trading expertise with advanced infrastructure, he helped institutionalize high-frequency market making at scale. Beyond finance, Viola is the owner of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, linking capital markets success with professional sports ownership.