The Mercedes driver is a minority owner as part of the Walton-Penner group that bought the three-time Super Bowl-winning Broncos in 2022 – led by Walmart heir Rob Walton and Greg Penner, the retail giant’s chairman, and his daughter Carrie – in a massive $4.65billion deal.
There are two other minority owners that complete the Broncos ownership group – former USA secretary of state Condoleezza Rice (who grew up in Denver and attended the University of Denver) and Mellody Hobson, co-CEO of Ariel Investments (a Minority Business Enterprise investment company and chairperson of Starbucks, a bonus fact being Hobson is married to Star Wars creator George Lucas).
Hobson’s Ariel Investments MBE status means it is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by an ethnically minority person in the USA (African American, Native American, Hispanic American or Asian American or Pacific Islander) and advancing Black Equity and diversity overall is a key reason Hamilton says he took the opportunity to buy into the Broncos.
The Briton started his Hamilton Commission and Mission 44 initiatives in recent years as part of his drive to address the lack of diversity in motorsport and its associated industries.
Via his new access at the Broncos, Hamilton can directly assess the impact of changes enacted in the NFL to try and improve diversity in many areas in a sport where that has long been a problem – perhaps famously regarding representation of minorities and women in coaching positions, with the sport also played by a majority of black athletes – with mandatory requirements in hiring and selection processes.
NFL teams are also giant franchises that turn over billions in revenue each year, with their owners wielding huge power over how the championship functions (they vote to decide rule changes, much like FOM and the FIA typically needs agreement from F1 teams when it comes to altering elements of grand prix racing).
Hamilton’s new venture with the Walton-Penner group means he can “speak to them and learn from them” at a pivotal time in his life, when he has made improving diversity in his working sphere and Black Equity generally a top priority.
Hamilton is tipped to sign new Mercedes deal but has also been considering his post-F1 future
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The 38-year-old is expected to sign a new contract with Mercedes this year that could result in him racing well into his 40s, but Hamilton has long…
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