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Seth Wickersham
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Seth Wickersham
ESPN senior writer
- Senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine
- Joined ESPN The Magazine after graduating from the University of Missouri.
- Although he primarily covers the NFL, his work has also taken him to the Athens Olympics, the World Series, the NCAA Tournament, and the NHL and NBA playoffs.
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Don Van Natta Jr.
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Don Van Natta Jr.
ESPN senior writer
- Host and co-executive producer of the new ESPN series, “Backstory”
- Member of three Pulitzer Prize-winning teams for national, explanatory and public service journalism
- Author of three books, including the New York Times bestseller “First of the Tea: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush.”
- 24-year newspaper career at The New York Times and Miami Herald
multiple authors
NFL owners are about to vote on a las vegas raiders The succession plan that gives Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban the option to purchase a majority stake in the team from longtime owner Mark Davis, according to multiple ownership and team executives with direct knowledge of the situation.
Although sources close to Davis say he has no intention of selling his majority stake, the vote would mean that Durban, a limited partner, would have the option to buy the club if Davis or his heirs decide to sell. According to league rules, the owners must approve Durban as the new controlling owner.
Four sources with knowledge of the situation said owners would also vote on Davis selling about 7% of the team to Durban and another limited partner, Michael Meldman. That sale would value the team at about $10 billion, two of the sources said.
Owners will vote on the transaction at the annual league meeting to be held March 29 in Phoenix, according to an agenda distributed to clubs this week. The league’s finance committee has already approved the option agreement with Durban, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
Davis declined to comment Thursday afternoon. But a source close to Davis told ESPN: “Mark has no intention of selling his majority stake in the team. This sets up a seamless succession plan.”
An NFL spokesman declined to comment. Spokespeople for the Raiders and Silver Lake did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Davis family has been a cornerstone of professional football ownership for more than five decades, and Mark Davis’s late father, Al Davis, is one of the few owners in any sport whose notoriety transcended the game itself. Al Davis was hired as the team’s coach and general manager in 1963 and became principal owner in 1972. He won three Super Bowls and was as famous for his contributions to the game as for his lawsuits and battles with fellow owners and the league office.
Mark Davis, who will turn 71 in May, inherited the team when his father died in 2011.
Since then, the Raiders have had two winning seasons and no playoff wins, and Davis has rotated through several head coaches and general managers. He moved the team from Oakland to Las Vegas to play at Allegiant Stadium in early 2020.
Durban owns 7.5% of the team through December 2024, when NFL owners approved the Raiders selling 15% of the franchise to him and Meldman, who is the founder of Discovery Land Co.
In 2024, Davis sold 5% of the team to veteran quarterback Tom Brady for an undisclosed amount – a move that was supposed to solidify the franchise. Instead, the Raiders went 4-13 and 3-14 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Brady bought into the team with Knighthead Capital Management co-founder Tom Wagner (5%) and Raiders Hall of Famer Richard Seymour (0.5%).
Durban co-runs Silver Lake, a technology-focused private equity firm, and has a net worth of $2.5 billion, according to Forbes. Silver Lake’s portfolio includes stakes in some sports-related companies, including Madison Square Garden Sports – the parent company of new York Knicks And New York Rangers –and hardcore collectibles.
