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Here are the top contenders to take over the Washington Commanders if Dan Snyder sells up, from Jeff Bezos to Kevin Durant

Here are the top contenders to take over the Washington Commanders if Dan Snyder sells up, from Jeff Bezos to Kevin Durant

Barnaby Lane

Daniel Snyder.Getty/Patrick McDermott

Dan Snyder is toying with the idea of selling the Washington Commanders.
According to Forbes, the 57-year-old has hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale.

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder is exploring the idea of selling the franchise.

According to a report from Forbes published in early November, the 57-year-old has hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale and has had "at least four calls from groups interested in buying the team."

The Commanders have since confirmed the news, releasing a statement stating that they were exploring "potential transactions."

Front Office Sports reports that a full sale of the team could fetch up to $7 billion – a price tag that limits the pool of potential buyers to only the world's wealthiest people.

Here are those who have been reported to be interested.

Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z

Jeff Bezos, Jay-Z. Getty/Leigh Vogel; Getty/Shareif Ziyadat

Bezos, the world's richest man, and Jay-Z, the world's first billion-dollar rapper, are, according to People, in cahoots to buy the Commanders together.

The pair were pictured together eating dinner in Los Angeles following People's report.

According to NBC's Peter King, however, Snyder does not want to sell the franchise to Bezos because of his ownership of the Washington Post.

In July 2020, The Washington Post published a series of articles alleging that more than 40 women who were former employees of the organization had been sexually harassed and discriminated against by Snyder and other male executives, colleagues, and players.

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

According to NBC Washington, actor McConaughey is exploring the possibility of "either leading a team or joining one" in a bid to purchase the Commanders.

McConaughey is a longtime friend of Snyder and fan of the team.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Nets. Bebeto Matthews/AP Images

Durant, a DC native and lifelong fan of the Commanders, wouldn't be able to afford to buy the team alone, but he told ESPN in early November that he would love to be part of a new ownership group if the opportunity arose.

"In a perfect world, I would be a part of it," he said. "I would love to do it. I would love to give a little bit of my money to be a part of the Commanders, but we'll see.

"Hopefully it's somebody nice. I heard Bezos and Jay-Z, but you never know."

Mat Ishbia

Ishbia, a mortgage industry billionaire and former MSU basketball player, recently told the Washington Post of his interest in buying the Commanders.

"I am interested in exploring this opportunity further in the very near future," he said.

Ishbia, who has an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion, unsuccessfully tried to buy the Denver Broncos earlier this year.

Josh Harris

Joshua Harris. Getty/Heidi Gutman

Harris, the principal owner of the NHL's Devils and NBA's 76ers, is among the candidates to buy the Commanders, according to The Athletic.

In May, he led a group, including the former NBA star Magic Johnson, in an attempt to buy the Broncos.

Byron Allen

Media mogul Allen, who is the founder of Entertainment Studios, was behind another of those that failed to score the Broncos.

Though he hasn't asserted any interest in the Commanders as of yet, he told TMZ in August that he still wants to buy an NFL team.

"Listen, buying an NFL football team is a process, and we had the pleasure of being a part of that process," he said.

"We didn't get this one, but I'm highly confident we'll get the next one."