Berkshire Hathaway has acquired a 38.6% equity stake in Knoxville-based gas station chain Pilot Flying J. Browns Owner JIMMY HASLAM III will remain CEO, and the Haslam family will "hold a majority interest" with 50.1% ownership. FJ Management, owned by the MAGGELET family, will retain 11.3% ownership until '23, when Berkshire will become the majority shareholder (CNBC.com, 10/3). The Haslam family will have 20% ownership of the company once Berkshire becomes majority shareholder. Neither company would "give the sale's price tag." Haslam said that his ownership of the Browns "didn't influence the sale" (KNOXNEWS.com, 10/3).
LAWYERING UP: USC men’s basketball assistant TONY BLAND, one of four coaches charged as part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into corruption in college basketball, has retained the services of N.Y.-based lawyer JEFFREY LICHTMAN, who in recent years has "represented several high-profile clients," including Mexican drug lord JOAQUIN 'EL CHAPO' GUZMAN and mobster JOHN GOTTI (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/3).
GOODS & SERVICES: Members of the Pirates will be "boarding a FedEx cargo plane Thursday to deliver 150,000 pounds of goods to people in Puerto Rico suffering from" the damage caused by Hurricane Maria. The Pirates are "encouraging fans to donate any food, water or other supplies they can give to the team’s Puerto Rico hurricane relief effort" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/3).
NAMES: The film "BATTLE OF THE SEXES" had a "merely OK expansion to wide release" this past weekend (1,213 theatres) at $3.4M, a per-theatre average that was "barely above 'FLATLINERS.'" It is "going to be difficult" for Fox Searchlight, which is distributing the film, to "hold theatres through awards season unless 'Battle' can demonstrate strong word of mouth" (SHOWBUZZDAILY.com, 10/1)....The office of U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. NIKKI HALEY said that an invitation for the '17 NCAA champion South Carolina women's basketball team to the White House "will come later this fall." Haley is a former South Carolina governor (Charleston POST & COURIER, 10/1)....Several sports execs were included in Crain's Detroit Business' "40 Under 40" Class of '17, including Pistons Dir of Business Affairs & Associate Counsel AWENATE COBBINA, RISE CEO JOCELYN BENSON and NPSL club Detroit City FC Founder SEAN MANN (CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS, 10/2 issue).....Gold Medal-winning U.S. skier LINDSEY VONN was part of Forbes' recent "30 Under 30 Summit" (BOSTONHERALD.com, 10/2)....Clippers F BLAKE GRIFFIN and C DEANDRE JORDAN yesterday “thrilled" Stevenson Middle School students in Honolulu "during the dedication of a new computer lab” (STARADVERTISER.com, 10/3).
