Seattle Kraken owner David Bonderman died Wednesday at the age of 82, the team announced.
Bonderman, the co-founder of global asset management firm TPG, led the effort to bring an NHL expansion club to Seattle - the league awarded one to the city in December 2018 - and was also instrumental in crafting its widely lauded branding.
"David was a visionary; unafraid to take on challenges and make bold decisions," Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said in a statement Wednesday. "He was smart, witty, curious, and humble. I will never forget the infamous meeting where David stood up and pointed to the location where a red ‘eye’ should be inserted in the Kraken 'S,' and so our brand was born."
"He empowered us to be a first-class enterprise with the best facilities, people and values and he was unwavering in his commitment to our community," Leiweke continued.
Bonderman was also a minority owner of the NBA's Boston Celtics. He was a co-majority owner of the Kraken along with Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
“David Bonderman lived a life that was astounding in its breadth of achievement, unflinching in its commitment to excellence and relentless in its passion for improving lives – particularly in his adopted home state of Washington," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
Bonderman had a lengthy resume in business, serving on more than 80 corporate boards including General Motors, MGM, and Ryanair. He won a Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement, a Woodrow Wilson Award of Corporate Citizenship, and was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2017.
