Former WBC heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder is part of a diverse investment group that has joined forces to buy the United States SailGP Team, the global sailing league said Wednesday.
In addition to Wilder, who was WBC heavyweight champion from 2015 to 2020, the investor group also includes NFL players DeAndre Hopkins and Malik Jackson, and former U.S. soccer player Jozy Altidore among others from the sport, technology and entertainment industries.
The team was purchased by technology investor and founding Uber engineer Ryan McKillen, his wife Margaret McKillen and two-time world champion sailor Mike Buckley.
"Our incredible ownership group is a testament to the growth and expansion of SailGP into the mainstream," team co-owner Ryan McKillen said in a news release.
Financial terms of the deal, which the league said will be the largest team acquisition in SailGP history, were not disclosed.
Seven-time world champion sailor Taylor Canfield was appointed as team driver.
The league, in which national teams compete in identical high performance F50 foiling catamarans at speeds of up to 100 kph, was launched in 2019.