How Gayle built the fortune
Gayle Benson's wealth comes from a business empire assembled by her husband, Tom Benson, a New Orleans car dealer who bought the NFL's Saints in 1985 and the NBA's Hornets in 2012, later renaming the basketball club the Pelicans. When Tom Benson died in March 2018, control of both franchises passed to Gayle, making her one of the few women who run a major American professional sports team.
The transfer was not a simple one. In 2015 Tom Benson changed his succession plan, removing his daughter and grandchildren from their expected roles and naming Gayle as the heir to the teams. The relatives challenged the decision in court and questioned his mental competence. A Louisiana judge ruled that he was competent to manage his affairs, and the family later reached settlements, which left Gayle with clear authority over the sports holdings after his death.
Since taking over, she has kept the teams in New Orleans and has positioned herself as the face of their ownership. Franchise values across the NFL and NBA have climbed steadily because of national broadcast contracts, which means the bulk of her fortune rests on assets that have appreciated without any sale.
Companies and holdings
Her holdings extend beyond the two franchises. The Benson family business includes car dealerships in the San Antonio and New Orleans areas, real estate and media interests. Key assets include:
- The New Orleans Saints (NFL) and New Orleans Pelicans (NBA)
- Fox 8, the WVUE television station in New Orleans, acquired by the Bensons in 2017
- A brewery in New Orleans East, bought as Dixie Brewing in 2017 and later renamed Faubourg Brewing
- Real estate in the city's central business district, including office property near the Superdome
The Saints train in Metairie, and the group works closely with the state on the operation of the Superdome and the Smoothie King Center, the arenas where its teams play. Even with the side businesses, the sports clubs remain the core of the group and the main driver of its value.
Early life and career
Born Gayle Marie LaJaunie in New Orleans in January 1947, she grew up in the city and has spent nearly all of her life there. Before entering professional sport she worked for years as an interior designer, running her own business and taking on residential and commercial projects in the local market. That background as a small business owner is often cited by people who have worked with her as the root of her hands-on approach to the teams.
She married Tom Benson in 2004, after both had been active in the city's Catholic community. Over the following decade she became increasingly visible at games and team events and took seats on the boards connected to the family companies. Her role grew quickly after the 2015 succession change, and by the time of his death she had been involved in the management of the organisation for several years, including major decisions on facilities and staff.
Her path into the business world was therefore less conventional than that of most team owners, who usually come from finance, energy or technology. She has said in public remarks that she approaches the role as a steward of institutions that matter to the city, rather than as an investor seeking a quick return.
Philanthropy and public life
Gayle Benson is closely associated with Catholic charities in Louisiana and has continued the giving pattern she shared with her husband. Their names appear on facilities at local institutions, including the Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Health and athletic and academic buildings at Tulane and other schools. She has directed money to the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Catholic education and the city's arts organisations, along with education, health care and community projects across the region.
In public she is known for a low key style, rarely giving long interviews. She is seen as a stabilising figure for professional sport in a market that has periodically worried about losing its teams, and her decisions on leases and stadium upgrades are followed closely by local officials.