Zygi Wilf, Mark Wilf, Leonard Wilf, Minnesota Vikings

Learn about Minnesota Vikings owners Zygi Wilf, Mark Wilf and Leonard Wilf, including how they made their wealth, their education and more.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | ZYGI WILF, MARK WILF, LEONARD WILF | CO-OWNERS | AGE: 68 (ZYGI), 56 (MARK), 71 (LEONARD)

Zygi (middle) is principal owner of the team; Mark (right) is the president and co-owner; Leonard is co-owner and vice chairman.

Education:Zygi: Fairleigh Dickinson, New York Law School; Mark: Princeton, NYU School of Law; Leonard: Boston University, Georgetown, NYU School of Law

How They Acquired the Franchise: The Wilfs purchased the Vikings in 2005 from Red McCombs for $600 million. The ownership group pushing for the purchase was originally led by Reggie Fowler, but Fowler ended up taking a lesser role and ultimately withdrawing from the ownership group entirely due to financial difficulties. This put the sale in peril until Zygi stepped forward as majority owner.

Net Worth:Zygi: $310 million (per SPORTS ILLUSTRATED in 2011)

Franchise Valuation: $2.4 billion (per Forbes in 2017)

How They Made Their Money: The Wilf family business is real estate. Their company, Garden Home (and its subsidiaries, Garden Commercial Properties and Skyline Developers) “is one of the largest builders of residential and commercial real estate.”

In the Owner’s Words: Responding to President Trump’s remarks about players kneeling during the national anthem, the Wilfs said: “Professional sports offer a platform unlike any other, a platform that can bring people from a variety of backgrounds together to impact positive change in our society. As owners, it is our job to foster an environment that recognizes and appreciates diversity of thought and encourages using this platform in a constructive manner. Rather than make divisive statements, we believe in promoting thoughtful, inspiring conversation that unifies our communities. We are proud of our players, coaches and staff for the important role they play in our community, and we fully support their constitutional right to respectfully and peacefully express their beliefs.”

Political Donations: The Wilfs have donated primarily to Democratic campaigns, with Zygi donating $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in 2008; $26,200 to the Democratic National Campaign Services/Democratic National Committee in ‘08; and $25K to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in ’12. Mark donated $36K to the Hillary Victory Fund in ’16, and Leonard donated $10K to the New Jersey Democratic State Committee in ’04.

NFL Committees: Zygi: Investment Committee; Mark: Stadium Committee, Business Ventures Committee, Super Bowl and Major Events Advisory Committee; Leonard: Legislative Committee, NFL Foundation.

• Click here to read The MMQB’s Complete NFL Owner’s Guide