Melinda French Gates Is Joining the Seattle Kraken's Ownership Group
SPORTS
(R-L) One Roof Sports and Entertainment's majority owner and managing partner, Samantha Holloway and Melinda French Gates.
Seattle has long been Melinda French Gates' city. She raised her family here, built one of the world's most influential philanthropies here, and has spent decades investing in the region's future through her work at the Gates Foundation and now Pivotal. That commitment took a new form: French Gates was announced as the newest minority investor in One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the parent organization of the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena, pending NHL approval.
It's a move that says as much about One Roof's trajectory as it does about French Gates' civic engagement, and it arrives at a moment when the organization is growing in scope, ambition, and community impact.
A Shared Vision for Seattle
The connection between French Gates and One Roof's majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway isn't incidental. The two share a deep commitment to Seattle's future and a belief that organizations, whether philanthropic or commercial, have an obligation to create lasting impact in the communities they inhabit.
Holloway was direct about what French Gates brings beyond capital: "Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. 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, for her part, framed the investment in personal terms. "As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future," she said. "After many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I'm excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community."
She also noted something worth paying attention to: "Samantha Holloway's leadership of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena reflects that Seattle is an engine of innovation in so many ways." That framing, a sports organization as an expression of a city's innovative identity, is exactly what One Roof has been building toward.
An Organization With Expanding Ambitions
One Roof is already one of the more remarkable sports enterprises in the country. Holloway and her ownership group, which includes Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and investor David Wright, brought the NHL's 32nd franchise to Seattle, renovated Climate Pledge Arena in partnership with Oak View Group, and built a venue that is now home to the WNBA's Seattle Storm, PWHL's Seattle Torrent, and a world-class live entertainment calendar.
The organization's foundation work is equally significant, including the development of Memorial Stadium through a landmark public-private partnership with Seattle Public Schools and the City of Seattle, a project that embodies the kind of community-rooted investment that French Gates has championed throughout her career.
And the growth isn't finished. Earlier this year, Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle should the league move forward with expansion, a prospect that would make the organization one of the most comprehensive sports and entertainment platforms in the Pacific Northwest.
French Gates joining that ownership group isn't just a headline. It's a signal that One Roof is building something that serious people, people with plenty of options for where to invest, believe in deeply.
Related Stories
Lotti Media © 2025-2026
Lotti MEDIA is your go-to source for multi-industry insights, innovation, and more.
Stay in the Know
Join our mailing list today.
Powered by: Lotti Communications