After Tom Benson died in March, his wife Gayle became the sole heir of his businessesGETTY IMAGES
Saints and Pelicans Owner GAYLE BENSON said she does not look at herself as "some big owner" after the death of her husband TOM last year, saying her late partner is "living through me and getting things done," according to a profile by Larry Holder of THE ATHLETIC. Benson: "I just don’t have that perception of myself. I’m just me. Continue his legacy. That’s all I want to do." Benson said her late husband initially after their marriage "really protected" her from the rest of his family. Benson: "They didn’t treat me very nice. ... That was almost an understatement. They hated me!" She added, "The family thing was like a volcano. I didn’t really talk to [Tom] about it. He could see what was going on. He wasn’t dumb. ... I felt like it was vultures. It was like they could smell blood. He was sick and was on a lot of medications." She said Tom Benson was "very vulnerable" in his later years, and the extended family "saw an opportunity." Benson said of running the Saints and Pelicans without her husband's guidance, "It’s all about people. He left me incredible people. All the executives." More Benson: "I truly thought I had another 10 years with him. He was as strong as an ox. His heart was strong. His mind was great, and even when they interdicted him, his mind was great. ... I think if they hadn’t interdicted him that he may have been able to find forgiveness in his heart. But after that, he couldn’t" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/4). Benson after her husband's death in March "became the sole heir to the Benson business empire" (THEATHLETIC.com, 1/3).
