A sports power play for Melinda French Gates as she takes minority stake in Seattle Kraken hockey team

Seattle Kraken fans, Melinda French Gates is ready to “see you in the deep.”

The billionaire philanthropist and the NHL team’s ownership group announced Monday that French Gates is taking a stake in the Kraken as a minority investor.

One Roof Sports and Entertainment, which oversees the Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena and associated properties, said in a news release that French Gates “shares its commitment to civic engagement in Seattle and a shared dedication to investing in the region’s future.”

French Gates also appeared in an Instagram video announcing the news alongside Samantha Holloway, One Roof’s majority owner and managing partner.

“Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan,” Holloway said in a statement. “We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.”

French Gates called herself “a big believer in the power of sports” and said that after many years of “cheering on Seattle from the sidelines,” she’s excited “to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.”

The ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, French Gates has a net worth of about $30 billion, according to Forbes. That wealth has landed her on short lists of potential buyers for another team in town — the Seattle Seahawks — alongside other billionaires with connections to the region.

One Roof has said that it will pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion, and French Gates could end up positioned to have a stake there, as well.

For his part, Bill Gates has expressed no interest in owning the Seahawks or any other pro sports team.

When it comes to tech notables, French Gates joins an ownership that includes Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Others in the group include Holloway, billionaire private equity investor David Bonderman, film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke, hip-hop star Macklemore, and former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch.

French Gates founded Pivotal as an organization to oversee her philanthropic commitment to women and families in the U.S. and around the world. She was previously co-chair of the Gates Foundation in Seattle.

Earlier this year, she took part in the SheBelieves Summit in Seattle, a U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team platform to bring together influential voices across sports, business, media and culture.

French Gates’ Kraken stake is pending NHL approval.

GeekWire reached out to Pivotal for further comment and we’ll update this post when we hear back.

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