Movie producer Thomas Tull, hedge fund manager Rob Citrone and the Paul family were approved Tuesday by the NFL to buy the Steelers ownership stake previously controlled by new Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III.
The $1 billion sale of the Browns was unanimously approved by NFL owners during a meeting in Chicago at which the Steelers ownership acquisition was allowed. Haslam, who once described himself as a “1,000 percent Steelers fan,” immediately took over running a team that ended an 11-game losing streak Sunday.
Haslam owned an estimated 10 percent of the Steelers, but it wasn't immediately known what percentage of his stake was acquired by each of the three groups, which already were part owners. Dan Rooney and his son own 30 percent of the team.
Tull is the chairman and CEO of Legendary Pictures, which has produced many films, including “The Dark Knight Rises.” Brothers Larry and Stephen Paul belong to a family that owns specialty steel manufacturer Ampco-Pittsburgh, plus radio and TV stations. Citrone is the founder and portfolio manager of hedge fund manager Discovery Capital Management.
The Steelers' 22-member ownership group was formed in 2008 to allow the Rooneys to retain principal ownership of a team the family has owned for all but a few months since its founding in 1933 by Art Rooney Sr.
Alan Robinson is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at arobinson@tribweb.com.
