Wayne Gretzky and John Elway each bought between 1 percent and 2 percent of the Professional Bull Riders, a company worth about $100 million based on what Spire paid for its 65 percent interest. That means the two stars paid somewhere between $1 million and $2 million each. Neither would reveal the exact amount, but, Elway said, "It's a significant investment." The key word for both men is "investment." Gretzky and Elway aren't the first celebrities to write a check so that they could be affiliated with the PBR. Usually, though, a celebrity is a fan first and investor later, and, up to now, that investment has always been in a bull. (Consider comedian Ron "Tater Salad" White, who owns part of the bull named Scene of the Crash.) Gretzky and Elway say their PBR involvement started as strictly business, and Gretzky, in particular, seems pleased that the use of his name was never a requirement to make the deal.
-- Sports Business Journal Gretzky, Elway have PBR stakes