Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry is primarily a businessman, a futures and foreign exchange trading advisor, a profession that lends itself to the world of professional sports. As teams bank on nothing so much as potential and "futures" in draft picks and farm systems, Henry's shrewd eye and ability to determine current and future value is extremely useful in dealing with professional athletes, front office personnel and sponsors.
Professional sports has long been a passion for Henry, who has brought his expertise to bear in three of the four major American professional sports. In 1989, he purchased the Triple-A Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League. He continued his involvement with professional sports by negotiating the purchase of the NBA’s Orlando Magic in 1990. Then, he led an NHL expansion bid in South Florida for a team that would eventually become the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In 1999, Henry spread his sports interests throughout Florida when he became the sole owner of the Florida Marlins. Henry sold the Marlins in 2002 while leading a bid to purchase the Red Sox along with partners Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. The winning bid was reportedly $660 million, the highest ever recorded for a professional ballclub.
In purchasing the Red Sox and leading the club to two World Series titles in the past five years, Henry has used his business acumen to build a winning team. By making improvements to Fenway Park instead of constructing a new stadium and by hiring Theo Epstein to be the team’s general manager (the youngest GM in baseball history at the time of his hiring), Henry has cemented himself as one of the best owners in baseball.
Henry also continues to support the local community and the charities of his players. On Monday night, he showed up at the House of Blues in support of Mike Lowell's Club 25: A Night at the Copa event.