When you hear the name Ben Navarro what comes to your mind first- an American billionaire with a $1.5 Billion net worth or Emma Navarro’s father? Well, both fit in perfectly at the moment! Navarro has earned his fortune in a series of successful business ventures, but there is no success without tasting the failures in life. Here’s an unsuccessful story of a successful businessman who has a deep love for sports.

Just as soon as the Carolina Panthers owner, Jerry Richardson, a Wofford graduate who owned the Panthers for 23 years, announced his intention to sell the franchise, two names came up as “real bidders.” One was Pittsburgh Steelers minority owner, David Tepper and the other was Sherman Financial Group founder Ben. Emma’s grandfather, Frank was a college football coach at Princeton University. His deep interest in business played a big role in Ben’s decision to bid for the Panthers when Richardson finally decided to sell it.

Speaking about his interests and getting involved with the whole process, Ben revealed, “I grew up on the sidelines. I played football and there are many things I love about the sport. And the fact that the team was here in the Carolinas, I felt like it needed the right steward and I thought I could be that person.” In a strategic move to bolster his bid, Navarro spent four to five months working “pretty intensely” on it.

He even reached out to former NFL star Peyton Manning, exploring the possibility of Manning joining the ownership group. However, unfortunately for the Navrros, Ben lost the bid to David Tepper, a billionaire hedge fund owner, who bought the Panthers for $2.2 Billion. It was the highest bid in the NFL history at that time. Navarro said he had no regrets about the bid to buy the Panthers. “Any good business person will tell you that their career has been defined as much by the deals they didn’t do as the deals they did do,” he said.

“And I had every opportunity to get that deal done. It just wasn’t on terms that I could get comfortable with at the end…ultimately I think it ended up in the right hands. But I have absolutely no remorse and no ill will toward working on it. It was a really enjoyable experience.” This failed bid brought a lot of attention to Navarro and his Sherman Financial Group.

Then again in 2022, he tried his luck in sports pursuits, but this time in tennis. He bought the Western and Southern Open, combined men’s and women’s tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. He channeled his love for the racquet sport through these investments and ensured that his daughter Emma got the right support in terms of training and coaching. His decision to get involved with the sport felt like a boon for someone like, Tracy Austin.

“Absolutely Fantastic” – Austin’s reaction to Emma’s father’s involvement with tennis

Well, if you haven’t heard of Ben’s failed attempt to buy the Panthers then don’t feel bad. He wanted it that way even before he put his name in the hat for the team’s ownership. Because that’s the way he was raised in the middle of a “strict family code of privacy.” He grew up in the middle-class Northeast United States and is described by friends as blue-collar. People often see him ride his bicycles to Sherman Financial Group or show up at board meetings wearing a polo shirt and sports. Who’d tell his next worth is $1.5 Billion?

Many believed that Ben, as a football owner, would probably have been more like a “progressive owner“. Unfortunately for the NFL fans, it didn’t happen but for the tennis world, Tracy Austin said it’s “absolutely fantastic” that Emma’s father has shown “such a commitment to tennis“. She believes he has “plenty of money” to buy the events and has also got a “passion” for the sport.

Tennis Channel”s Jimmy Arias on the other hand said, “I’m always for billionaires wanting to be into tennis … and he loves tennis, so come on.” Steve Weismann stated, “I love what he’s done in Charleston taking that tournament to the next level.“