About Bruce Levenson

If you are a real NBA fan, then you have heard about Bruce Levenson on wikipedia. Bruce is an American businessperson, former owner of an NBA team and a philanthropist. He was a co-owner of the Atlanta Spirit LLC, which is now known as the Atlanta Hawks. He also served as governor to the team since 2004. Before he got interested in sports, Bruce was already a renowned business person. In 1977, he had founded and United Communications Group together with a partner. He had also invested in Tech Target, which was an IT media company.

Early life, education and rise to business leadership

Bruce Levenson was born into a Jewish family in Washington DC. His family then moved to Chevy Chase, Maryland, where he grew up and attended both elementary and high school. He attended the Washington College in St. Louis for his Bachelor’s degree and later joined the American University Law School. When he was at the law school, he started his media career at the Washington Star.

In 1977, together with a partner, Ed Peskowitz, Bruce started UCG. The company was at first set up inside Levenson’s apartment. They published a newsletter known as oil express, whose main focus was the oil industry and the developments that were taking place within. With time, UCG acquired several other newsletters and launched various databases. One of the most famous of these companies that UCG acquired was Oil Price Information Service (OPIS), and GasBuddy. This is the company that helped the young Bruce get the experience he needed for business leadership positions.

Atlanta Hawks

In 2004, Bruce and Peskowitz and several other businesses formed a company whose main aim was to buy off the former Atlanta Spirit LLC. The two became the major partners at the team, which operates in the Phillips area. During the purchase, the businesspeople had also included the Atlanta Thrashers Basketball team. However, they sold the NHL team in 2011. Currently, Bruce acts as the managing partner and a member of the NBA Board of Governors.

In 2014, Bruce decided to sell the team after discussing in detail the teams African American fan base. He had enlisted the help of an investment banking firm to help him in coordinating the purchase.

Other activities, philanthropy and personal life

Bruce Levenson is married to Karen. Together, they have 3 children, all boys. They own homes in Atlanta and Maryland. Apart from being co-owner and administrator at UCG, Bruce also works as an advisor for the BIA digital partners. He is also very philanthropic. He is a founding donor to the Holocaust museum. The subject of the Holocaust is close to his heart because his grandmother was a survivor. He once wrote a letter to the Israeli prime minister urging him to work closely with John Kerry, the country’s state secretary.

Bruce is definitely one of the most influential Jewish-American Business leaders in the country.