Residence Dallas, TX Role Businessman Other names Don Carter Spouse Linda Carter | Citizenship US Name Don Carter | |
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Born 1933 Arkansas Occupation Investor, business leader Known for Founder of Dallas Mavericks & Dallas Sidekicks Children Donald J. "Joey" Carter, Jr. | ||
Organizations founded Dallas Mavericks | ||
Donald J. Carter (born 1933) is an American investor and businessman who was a founding owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Now a minority partner in the Mavericks, he has had a familiar courtside presence at its home games, always wearing a cowboy hat.
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Early life
Carter was born into a poor family in Arkansas in 1933. However, by 1957, his mother, Mary Crowley made a fortune in a direct marketing interior decoration business, known as Home Interiors and Gifts. The business was sold to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and netted Carter millions of dollars.
Career
Carter, along with Norm Sonju, founded an NBA expansion team, the Dallas Mavericks, in 1980. When Sonju had difficulty securing the funds needed for the US$12 million expansion entry fee, Carter stepped forward to guarantee its payment. This initial investment in the team (US$34.9 million in today's terms) eventually earned him US$125 million (US$191 million in today's terms) when he sold the team in 1996 to an investment group led by H. Ross Perot, Jr..
Over the years, Carter has owned many different types of businesses, including a Rolls-Royce dealership. Other businesses include banks, trucking firms, hotels, rodeo arenas, and cattle ranches. In the 2011 championship win by the Dallas Mavericks over the Miami Heat he was given the honor of receiving the Larry O'Brien trophy by Mark Cuban as the first owner. A minority (4%) owner, he frequently attends Mavericks games.