When the Panthers announced Sunday that Jerry Richardson would put the team up for sale, one of the first people to express interest was Sean "Diddy" Combs.
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The hip-hop mogul has a strong history as a profitable businessman and is reportedly moving forward in his quest to purchase the team.
Combs is trying to put together an ownership group that could include former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday.
"The interest is real and it’s moving forward," a Yahoo source said of Combs and Kaepernick working together. "They want to make this a reality. It’s serious."
The Panthers announced Friday they were conducting an internal investigation into workplace misconduct allegations against Richardson. That investigation was quickly taken over by the NFL and a Sports Illustrated report on Sunday revealed disturbing details.
According to the report, at least four former Panthers employees have received "significant" monetary settlements as a result of inappropriate workplace conduct by Richardson, including "sexually suggestive language and behavior, and on at least one occasion directing a racial slur at an African-American Panthers scout."
The report notes the settlements included non-disclosure agreements, preventing the parties from talking about the situation.
A number of former Panthers employees told SI that Richardson’s conduct was "treated as something of a running office joke" rather than dealt with in an appropriate manner. The allegations include Richardson asking female employees if he could personally shave their legs and saying some women were able to "wiggle" into their jeans.
Though Combs got the team name wrong, calling them the "North Carolina Panthers," he said he wanted to be the NFL's first African-American majority owner. He also said he would sign Kaepernick to compete with 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton as the team's starting quarterback.
The Panthers were awarded the NFL's 29th franchise in 1993, and Richardson's team was valued by Forbes at $2.3 billion in September. The question is whether Combs has enough personal wealth to get approval by the NFL to buy the team. Combs' estimated net worth in 2017 was $820 million, meaning he'd have to find multiple partners to join his business group to raise enough funds to match what is expected to be a $2.5 billion price tag. He does have support, however, as Golden State Warriors guard and Charlotte native Stephen Curry said he wants in.
Charlotte mayor Vi Lyles said the city would work with current and future ownership.
The Yahoo report stated Kaepernick and Combs have a "shared vision" about creating an ownership group that more closely represents the racial makeup of the league’s players, which is about 70 percent African-American.
This picture was taken back in 2003. This is God’s work. It’s time!!
— Diddy (@Diddy) December 18, 2017
ATTN all @NFL owners, it’s time for diversity!! It’s time for Black ownership!!
The time is now. Let’s make it happen!! pic.twitter.com/zex7LTZ8mn