Tepper had his own issues to sort out, namely how to spend his money. He toyed with the idea of getting himself an island or a jet or, as he was quoted as saying by New York Magazine, “a 22-year-old.” He dabbled in politics, contributing to causes and candidates on both sides of the aisle. His donation history appears to show Tepper’s leanings drift from further right a decade or so ago more toward the center — he has identified as an independent and in 2015 gave to both Sen. Charles E. Schumer and former House Speaker John Boehner — and before the 2016 election he donated more than $1 million to political action committees behind Republicans Jeb Bush and John Kasich.<doc-sep>The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The new owner of the Carolina Panthers is committed to keeping the team in the Carolinas. And Charlotte is his clearly his first choice. But David Tepper left a bit of wiggle room on his first day as owner of the team. The NFL unanimously approved Tepper's $2.2 billion purchase of the team from Jerry Richardson on Tuesday, leading to immediate questions about the new owner's thoughts on replacing 22-year-old Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. "What's the name of the team? Carolina Panthers. It's going to be the Carolina Panthers," Tepper said. "And that means this team has to have some kind of presence in the Carolinas and last time I saw, how many are there? That's right, there's two of them." Tepper seemed to be implying that he might consider other cities in North and South Carolina if efforts to build a new stadium in Charlotte fall through. The lease with Bank of America Stadium runs for only one more season. Tepper also reiterated several times that the largest city in the Carolinas is the best place for the team. "There is a logical place for this team, and it's Charlotte," he said. "And far as a new stadium, again, you're asking me too much and the only thing I have a market on now is lack of knowledge. I'll call it stupidity, so I've got that down. I'll learn a lot more in the future." Tepper's purchase was the first order of business at the league's spring meeting in Atlanta. He was quickly approved after passing muster with the owners' finance committee during a morning session. "We congratulate David and welcome him to the NFL," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. Tepper is paying an NFL-record price to buy the team from Jerry Richardson, the team's founder and only owner since the Panthers entered the league in 1995. Richardson abruptly announced he was selling the team last December after coming under investigation from the league for sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace. The probe is ongoing. Tepper is the founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, with a reported net worth of $11 billion. Already familiar to the league as a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, his purchase was quickly approved. Tepper said he plans to formally take over the team in July. In the meantime, he reserved judgment on both a new stadium and those who are running the football side of things, most notably general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera. "I do think they have a great team down there right now," Tepper said. "The biggest thing I can do is have a great appreciation of how stupid I am. Sometimes, it's better to do nothing than to do something." Bank of America will be the NFL's seventh-oldest stadium after Los Angeles opens its new facility for the Rams and Chargers, and the Raiders complete their move from Oakland to Las Vegas. That has raised the prospect of the Panthers seeking another home if they can't get a new stadium of their own. Tepper touched on the idea of bringing a Major League Soccer team to Charlotte, which could improve the financial viability of a new stadium. The city was passed over in MLS' latest round of expansion. "The first thing I care about is winning. The second thing I care about is winning. And the third thing I care about is?" he said, waiting for the media to give the obvious answer. "That's on and off the field. That includes charity aspect, community aspect and how you make a community better. So you win a lot of ways, and I don't like losing in any way." Rivera said he looks forward to working with the new owner. "He has a sense and a feel for football and he has been around it," the coach said. "Eventually I know we will sit down and talk some football and talk about this team." While the owners were approving Tepper, the new-look Panthers were holding their first organized workouts some 250 miles away in Charlotte. "For a lot of people, I am sure they are ready for some closure and for that transition to start," tight end Greg Olsen said. "I think this transition has been inevitable for a little while since it was announced that the team would be sold. I think for a lot of people in the building, the players, the team, just to put all of this to rest and move forward in the new direction that the team is going with."<doc-sep>
While Tepper knows he has plenty to learn about running a franchise, he showed no issue jumping in head-first—which is exactly the outcome the NFL's owners wanted. ATLANTA — David Tepper showed the NFL’s owners on Tuesday morning that he’s wasting no time hitting the ground running as the newest member of that exclusive club. In a 9 a.m. meeting with the finance committee to give the purchase approval and move it to an owners vote, Tepper outlined plans to meld his philanthropic efforts in hunger and education with those of other owners in the room. In doing so, he showed his soon-to-be peers that while he knew he had plenty to learn about leading a franchise, there were areas where he could jump in right away. Some five hours later, the hedge-fund tycoon and Steelers minority owner was officially ushered in by the other owners, via a 32–0 vote. The small moment before served as validation for those who pushed his candidacy—Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and, of course, Pittsburgh owner Art Rooney were strong advocates—that he’s a good bet to fulfill the promise they saw in him. For those guys, it wasn’t just that Tepper would be good for the Panthers. They believed he’d be good for the league. Speed, Discipline and a Whole Bunch of Cash: Inside the Odd Sale of the Carolina Panthers Wutgoing owner Jerry Richardson didn’t get the high bid or the native Carolinian that he sought in the process, but he will walk away with a very solid deal. Tepper will pay $2.2 billion in cash, with an additional $75 million deferred, which is about as uncomplicated as a it gets. When asked if he’d keep the team in town, Tepper empasized in his press conference that he sees Charlotte as the ideal market for the team now and going forward. He also said he like the football leadership in place. Sources say that he sought counsel within the Steelers, and both GM Kevin Colbert and VP Omar Khan gave Carolina GM Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera glowing recommendations. Where Tepper’s ownership of the team goes from here is anyone’s guess, of course. Plenty of owners have brought promise to the table, only to stumble through their early years leading an NFL team, and it’s hard to forecast who will and won’t fall victim to that. But as far as his new NFL partners are concerned, Tuesday provided the right kind of start.