Rich Paul Says He Doesn’t ‘Have Enough Money’ to Own an NFL or NBA Team, Would Rather ‘Have Floor Seats’
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The founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group released his gripping memoir ‘Lucky Me: A Memoir of Changing the Odds' earlier this month
Rich Paul isn't interested in owning an NBA or NFL team. Instead, the Klutch Sports Group founder and CEO knows exactly where he wants to be when the game starts — in the best seat in the house.
Paul, 42, spoke about potential team ownership during a panel hosted by CNN's Victor Blackwell at the UNLOQ404 creators' summit in Atlanta on Oct. 14.
The right-hand man and longtime agent of NBA superstar LeBron James, Paul said, "I don’t want to own an NBA team or an NFL team," partially because, "I don’t have enough money."
Instead, Paul said he "would rather have" three benefits from any professional sports team he'd become involved with financially. "I would rather have a salary cap and have floor seats and access to park next to players," said the agent and author, who's been spotted on the sidelines with his girlfriend, music superstar Adele.
Paul, who released his memoir Lucky Me: A Memoir of Changing the The Odds on Oct. 10, noted his recent investment into a pickleball team.
"So, we will see what happens with that," Paul said of his stake in the Miami Pickleball Club.
The Miami Pickleball team was founded in 2022 by Paul and a handful of celebrity athletes from across major leagues and sports.
Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, and musician Kygo are all part of the investment group, according to the MLP (Major League Pickleball).
The inaugural UNLOQ404 summit, presented by the talent agency UTA, also featured talks by other entrepreneurs and content creators, including Slutty Vegan restaurant owner Pinky Cole Hayes, and music executive DJ Drama.
In his memoir, Paul details the hard lessons he learned from a tough childhood in Cleveland, Ohio, and how he worked his way up to the top of the sports world.
The CEO credits his late father, Rich Paul. Sr., for making the positive difference in his life, and teaching him skills to not only survive his rough childhood, but thrive in the successful world he finds himself in today.
"I had a great example of who a man should be and what a man should do,” Paul told PEOPLE recently of his dad, who ran a local corner store.
“I had a front row seat to what work ethic was like, what perseverance was like. I watched my dad play air traffic controller in a community that was a war mixed with a tornado, but also a picnic at times. He was my hero in that regard.”
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It’s lessons like those from his father, and others he had to learn all on his own, that Paul is hoping to impart to readers.
“When you read the book, you get to dive into a lot of the things that I had to overcome,” said Paul. “But hence the title of Lucky Me. I was lucky enough to be able to continue down a path where there wasn't a ton of light, but the door was cracked with a little light and I was smart enough not to invest in the pitfalls that were there for me every day in my environment.”
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