CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The sale of the Carolina Panthers will come down to the wire. Multiple sources told NBC Charlotte the new potential owner could be announced as early as Monday.
We reported last week it's down to two bidders: Ben Navarro and David Tepper. Several reports Friday said Tepper is now the favorite.
If the Panthers and the NFL want to have an owner approved by the May meetings in less than two weeks, as has been targeted, the likely choice would be billionaire hedge fund manager David Tepper.
The number one reason? His cash. Tepper is worth $11 billion dollars according to Forbes and could pay for the team on his own, without limited partners, with plenty to spare.
The second reason? He's already an owner with a five percent stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers, which he would have to sell to become the Panthers majority owner.
As we reported in March, because of his money and league connections, Tepper would be the favorite among the other 31 NFL owners, and easiest, not to mention quickest, to vote in.
Last week, bidder Alan Kestenbaum, the Miami businessman who owns a Canadian steel company, was spotted at the Wells Fargo championship, shaking hands and cozying up to local business leaders. However, we reported that same day it was a two-man race: Tepper and Charleston's Ben Navarro.
Navarro runs a debt collection firm that is worth $2 billion dollars, and he reportedly bid $2.6 billion on the team.
Even this week, it was reported Navarro was looking for limited partners to pitch in like NFL legend Peyton Manning.
