Through commemorative patches and helmet stickers featuring the initials and a silhouette of Tom Benson doing his signature Benson Boogie, the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans continue to honor the memory of their late owner, Tom Benson.
But no one is honoring his legacy more than his wife, Gayle Benson, who became owner of both teams when he passed away in March. With franchises in two of the world’s most popular professional leagues and a horse-racing stable competing at the highest levels, Sports Illustrated recently named her “the most powerful woman in sports.”
In April, Benson saw the Pelicans sweep the Portland Trail Blazers to win their first playoff series sweep in franchise history and advance to the conference semifinals.
In May, her horse, Lone Sailor, made a “Run for the Roses” in the Kentucky Derby, and later that month, she led a delegation aimed at awarding New Orleans the 2024 Super Bowl. Her fellow owners needed just 60 seconds to unanimously award the event.
In August, she announced the return of Dixie Beer to New Orleans with an 80,000-square-foot brewery, tasting room and museum in New Orleans East.
In October, she was ranked No. 298 on the Forbes 400 list, an annual ranking of the wealthiest Americans. The magazine ranked the Saints as the world’s 48th most valuable sports franchise with a value of $2 billion and valued the Pelicans at $1 billion. With an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion — equal to media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey — she is the lone Louisianan to make the Forbes list.
In addition to the teams, Benson owns three local automotive dealerships — Best Chevrolet, Cadillac of New Orleans and Mercedes-Benz of New Orleans. Alongside all of her responsibilities, the renowned philanthropist is continuing to contribute to the local community in the health and wellness, education and arts sectors, most notably through the Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medical Center.
“This year has truly been a blessing and I could not be prouder of what we have accomplished,” Benson said. “The Saints claimed the 2018 NFC South title for the second year in a row and the Pelicans are in the thick of the hunt for another playoff berth.
“Our farm in Paris, Kentucky continues to be a leader in the thoroughbred breeding business, selling one of its Quality Road yearlings at the Keeneland Sale for over $1 million,” she said. “As I look back on all of our accomplishments this year, I am inspired to achieve even greater things for our fans and community while continuing to give back to the community as much as possible. With success comes the responsibility to invest in our community and to make a lasting impact on those around us.”
