about bill foley

Bill Foley

Vintner

MEET THE MAN DRIVEN BY THREE OF LIFE’S BIGGEST PASSIONS

William P. Foley II is a businessman and philanthropist responsible for the founding, growing, and operating of a number of sports teams, public and private companies, and charitable foundations. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point with a degree in Engineering, Mr. Foley served in the U.S. Air Force where he attained the rank of captain. Subsequently, Mr. Foley earned his MBA from Seattle University and his JD from the University of Washington School of Law.

In 2016, Mr. Foley received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the United States Military Academy at West Point based on his character, distinguished service, and stature drawing wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives, in keeping with its motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.”

Sporting history:

Mr. Foley founded the first major league professional sports team in Las Vegas’ history – the Vegas Golden Knights (VGK) of the National Hockey League. Under Foley’s stewardship, the Vegas Golden Knights inaugural season in 2017 is considered the most successful first year in the history of any professional sport. The team shattered nearly every first year record in the NHL’s 100+ year history including most wins, points, goals, win streak, home record, road record, playoff wins, playoff series wins and playoff goals. The Golden Knights won their divisional championship and conference championship, becoming the first expansion team to do so in the modern sports era.

Prior to the start of that inaugural season when asked about his expectations for the team, Foley boldly proclaimed “Playoffs in three, Cup in Six.” This meant that he believed the Knights would make the playoffs within three years and win the Stanley Cup in six. Despite the skepticism initially levied towards this claim, it ended up coming true in 2023 when, in only the franchise’s sixth season in existence, the team had another historic season en route to capturing the Stanley Cup. A regular season record of 51-22-9 helped the team win the Pacific Division and they went on to defeat the Winnipeg Jets in five games, Edmonton Oilers in six games, and the Dallas Stars in six games to win the Western Conference Championship. In the Stanley Cup Final, the Knights defeated the Panthers four games to one, including a decisive 9-3 win in game five to hoist the Stanley Cup on home ice and make Foley’s prediction come true.

Off the ice, the Golden Knights ranked in the top five in all relevant business categories such as ticket revenue, attendance, sponsorship revenue, retail revenue and television ratings. These trends continue today, as the Golden Knights have averaged a 104% attendance capacity at their home games and have maintained their spot in the top five in the aforementioned categories. The story of the founding and the first year of the Golden Knights is a subject of an independently produced documentary “Valiant” which can be streamed on Amazon Prime, Fubo, Tubi, Google Play, and iTunes.

The profound impact Foley and his organization has had on the Las Vegas community cannot be overstated. Participation in hockey has exploded across all skill levels and demographics, especially amongst the youngest members of the Las Vegas population. In total, hockey participation has grown by nearly 200% in the state of Nevada since the arrival of the Golden Knights, while participation among key groups like 8-and-under and girls and women has grown at an even faster clip. The number of children under the age of 8 enrolled in youth hockey programs sponsored by the Golden Knights went from under 100 in 2016 to over 900 in 2022. Furthermore, hockey participation amongst girls and women has increased 327% over the five plus years as a direct result of the grassroots strategy implemented by Mr. Foley and his team.

On the philanthropic side, the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation is the primary charitable link between the team and the community and contributed 1.7 million dollars to over 50 local organizations that are improving the lives of those in need during the 2021 calendar year. Initiatives such as blood drives, canned food collections, toy drives, food distribution, foster care outreach and school supply distributions have had a profound positive impact on the Las Vegas community. One of the biggest projects included adding the first ever ball hockey rink in the North Las Vegas area in the spring of 2021.

Local partnerships with universities (University of Nevada Las Vegas), Clark County School District, Clark County Library District, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Nellis Air Force Base, Clark County Fire Department, local hospitals, first responders and other serviced-based entities has enhanced and enriched these organizations and the community as a whole. More than 220,000 local school children have received instruction and literature provided by Golden Knights staff to help augment their educational experience.

Mr. Foley’s success led to the acquisition of two other sports properties – the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League and the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League. The Silver Knights are the primary development team for the Golden Knights.

Black Knight Football Club:

Mr. Foley is the Founder and General Partner of Black Knight Football Club, a global multi-club operator of football clubs.  BKFC is building a global network of world-class football clubs, players, and real estate assets that will produce operational synergies, accelerate player development, enable efficient player migration across BKFC’s network of owned and operated clubs, while driving both strong on-field and financial results. 

In December 2022, Foley led BKFC’s acquisition of 100% of AFC Bournemouth of the English Premier League, representing the first acquisition in BKFC’s broader multi-club strategy.  Under Foley’s leadership, Bournemouth experienced its best Premier League season in its 124-year history during the 2023-24 campaign, as they amassed 48 points and finished 12th place in the table. He has made significant investments in the organization to improve club infrastructure, recruit world class players on the first team, grow the women’s game and give youth more opportunities and facilities to experience the sport.

In January 2023, Foley led BKFC’s acquisition of a 33.3% ownership interest in FC Lorient of the French Ligue 1, representing the second investment in connection with BKFC’s broader multi-club strategy.

BKFC was awarded an expansion franchise in the Austrialian A-Leagues, subsequently named Auckland FC (New Zealand). Auckland FC will begin play during the 2024-25 season.

In January 2024, BKFC agreed in principle to a strategic partnership and to acquire a minority ownership interest in The Hibernian Football Club, a Scottish Premiership football club, founded in 1875 and based in Edinburgh, Scotland.  The investment was approved by the Scottish Football Association as the first multi-club investment in Scotland.

Nevada-based Venues:

The Silver Knights and Knight Hawks play at Lee’s Family Forum, a 5,567 seat venue in Henderson, Nevada which Foley’s team built and now owns in partnership with the city of Henderson. The 84 million dollar project is one of three sports venues constructed and operated under Foley. At just under 200,000 square feet, Lee’s Family Forum is home to affordable, family-friendly sports and entertainment programming. Other tenants at Lee’s Family Forum include the Vegas Thrill (professional indoor volleyball) and the Vegas Desert Dogs (professional indoor lacrosse).

City National Arena in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas serves as the Golden Knights team and business headquarters while providing a variety of hockey and skating community programming throughout the year for Clark County residents. The two-floor, 146,000 square foot facility has two sheets of ice, a restaurant, a team store, 12 locker rooms including one dedicated to the University of Nevada Las Vegas hockey team, team medical treatment facilities, a state-of-the-art weight room and physio room. The total project cost was nearly 30 million dollars.

America First Center in Henderson, a facility of 120,000 square feet offers similar hockey and skating programming for the community, while providing the Silver Knights a home base. America First Center also boasts a restaurant, team store and state-of-the-art training facilities for the Silver Knights team. The project cost on America First Center was approximately 25 million dollars.

Foley has a 15% ownership stake in T-Mobile Arena, considered one of the highest grossing and successful arenas in the world. Located steps away from the famous Las Vegas Strip, T-Mobile Arena is home to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, premier concert acts and some of the biggest prizefights in the world. T-Mobile Arena has a 20,000 seating capacity overall with 17,367 fixed seats for NHL hockey. The total project cost for T-Mobile Arena was 375 million dollars.

In addition, Foley’s affiliated entities have also performed financial, business and development feasibility analysis for a number of other stadium and arena projects throughout the United States. These projects include: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (Las Vegas Raiders), SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Rams), Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta (Atlanta Falcons), U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (Minnesota Vikings), the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles (future home of the Los Angeles Clippers), Sun Trust Park in Atlanta (Atlanta Braves), the former Staples Center in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Kings), Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle (Seattle Kraken),and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, among others.

Foley Entertainment Group:

Foley formed the Foley Entertainment Group (FEG) to capitalize on future opportunities and acquisitions. FEG is comprised of four primary verticals: Sports, Hospitality, Venues and Foundations. The Golden Knights, Silver Knights and Knight Hawks fall under the sports vertical while Lee’s Family Forum, City National Arena and America First Center are grouped in the venue vertical.

The FEG Hospitality vertical is comprised of multiple luxury hotel properties on the West Coast of the United States, several other world-class destinations around the world and the largest restaurant company in Montana.  Among the highlights:

Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, CA is a 121-room luxury property that is a destination for Hollywood elite, international visitors and locals alike. Located a block from the Pacific Ocean, Hotel Californian is Santa Barbara’s premier luxury urban destination. Hotel Californian’s primary restaurant Blackbird offers a beverage-forward atmosphere featuring inventive cocktails alongside a thoughtfully curated menu that pays homage to the culinary bounty of the Central Coast.

Nestled amongst the hills of the Russian River Valley, Hotel Les Mars, is located one block from Healdsburg’s historic town square in Sonoma, California wine country. The surrounding area includes Michelin Star dining, wine tasting, hiking and other outdoor activities, as well as many boutiques. Hotel Les Mars is also home to Chalkboard Restaurant, a casual, contemporary dining experience that features the best ingredients Sonoma has to offer.

Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard is a serene, nine-room villa perched above 100 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay vines in Oregon’s famed Willamette Valley. Black Walnut’s curated dining program offers simple ingredients sourced from small, local farms that are transformed by the enthusiasm and creativity of the property’s culinary staff.

“Wild, Beautiful, Luxury” captures the experience at Wharekauhau (pronounced Fuddy-Ko-Ho) in Palliser Bay, New Zealand. A 3,000 acre property, Wharekauhau is considered one of New Zealand’s, (and the worlds), most luxury lodges, offering guests an unforgettable farm stay experience set in the spectacular foothills of the Remutaka Mountain Range and the clifftops of dramatic Palliser Bay.

In December 2023, Foley Entertainment Group announced the acquisition of MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, a 69-room boutique hotel located in Sonoma, California. The property continued the luxury hospitality portfolio expansion and marked FEG’s second major hotel acquisition in Sonoma County following September 2023’s addition of the 25-room luxury boutique hotel Farmhouse Inn in nearby Forestville.

Rock Creek Cattle Company in Deer Lodge, Montana is another impressive property in the Foley collection that Mr. Foley acted as a lead developer. Rock Creek is a 30,000 acre historic working cattle ranch that offers diverse homesteads, a well appointed lodge for recreation and dining and a variety of outdoor activities, including horseback riding, fly fishing, hiking and golf. The 18- hole, 250-acre Tom Doak course is a stunning tribute to the beauty and grandeur that surround it.

Whitefish Mountain Resort in Whitefish, Montana is another FEG asset that boasts 3,000 acres of ski trails and year-round activities including hiking, mountain biking and zip lining.

Glacier Restaurant Group is the largest restaurant business headquartered in the State of Montana. Formed in 2007, GRG’s portfolio of high quality restaurant concepts, while different in design, ambiance and offerings, all share the same commitment to provide distinctive and memorable dining experiences for guests.

Foley Family Wines:

Mr. Foley also is the Chairman and CEO of Foley Family Wines Holdings, Inc., which is the holding company of nearly 30 vineyards and wineries located in the U.S., Chile, France and in New Zealand.

Established in 1996, Foley Family Wines boasts a portfolio of highly-acclaimed wines from some of the world’s greatest vineyards. Every brand in the company’s portfolio has a distinct style and legacy.

Among the more recognizable brands in the FFW portfolio are Merus, Chalk Hill Estate, Ferrari-Carano and Silverado Vineyards.

Philanthropy:

In addition to the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, Foley founded the Folded Flag Foundation to assist military families who lost a family member in the line of duty. The Folded Flag Foundation contributes 100% of all donations towards educational grants and scholarships for Gold Star Families (the spouses and children of the U.S. military and government personnel who died as a result of hostile action or in an accident related to U.S. combat operations). During the 2021 calendar year, Folded Flag awarded 3 million dollars in educational scholarships to 678 recipients from across the nation. Since the inception of the Foundation in 2014, Folded Flag has awarded over 2500 scholarships and more than 14 million dollars to these deserving families.

The Foley Family Charitable Foundation continued its generous support of the Las Vegas community in 2021, donating more than $1.5 million to charitable causes in the area during the calendar year. The Foundation’s contributions in the Vegas community included donations to Three Square Food Bank and the Cleveland Clinic. The Foley Family Charitable Foundation previously made donations in support of the communities devastated by the Northern California wine country fires and supports causes such as education, youth programs, hunger and first responder initiatives that are near to the Foley Family’s hearts.

Board Positions and Publicly Traded Companies:

Currently, Mr. Foley serves on the board of several publicly traded companies:

He is the Chairman of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF). FNF has over 23,000 employees and is engaged in the sale of title insurance and life insurance throughout the United States and, as an insurance company, is regulated by various federal and state regulatory bodies.

Mr. Foley also is the Chairman of Cannae Holdings (NYSE: CNNE). Cannae primarily acquires interests in operating companies and is engaged in actively managing and operating a group of those companies. Cannae’s current principal holdings, include Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DNB), Ceridian (NYSE: CDAY), Alight, Inc. ((NYSE: ALIT), System1, Inc. (NYSE: SST), and Sightline Payments. Cannae has 13,000 employees.

Mr. Foley is the Executive Chairman of Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DNB), which is a leading global provider of business decisions data and analytics that enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. DNB has 6,300 employees.

Mr. Foley is the Chairman of Alight, Inc. (NYSE: ALIT), which is a leading cloud- based human capital technology and services provider that powers confident health, welfare and wellbeing decisions for 36 million people and their dependents. He served on the board of its predecessor Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corporation I from May 2020 until April 2021.

Mr. Foley is the Director of System1, Inc. (NYSE: SST), which combines its best-in class technology and data science to operate one of the world’s most advanced Responsive Acquisition Marketing Platforms. System1 has 375 employees.

Mr. Foley serves as a Senior Managing Director of Trasimene Capital Management, LLC since 2019 which is licensed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commision as an Investment Advisor and a Broker/Dealer.