Sheryl Sandberg’s next gig will be part owner of the new women’s pro soccer franchise in Silicon Valley.
The former Meta Platforms Inc. META, +0.77% chief operating officer, who left the Facebook parent company last year, is part of the investor group awarded a franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League on Tuesday. Private-equity firm Sixth Street Partners, an investor in Spanish teams FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, led an overall investment of $ 125 million, $ 53 million of which went to a record expansion fee.
“Playing sports is such an important part of developing future leadership skills, especially for women and girls. We are going to combine world-class resources with a leadership program that will produce great players and great leaders, on and off the pitch,” Sandberg said in a statement.
Other investors in the NWSL club, which is likely to play in San Jose, Calif., but does not have a name yet, include Sandberg’s husband, Tom Bernthal; former Golden State Warriors President Rick Welts; and former U.S. women’s national team players Brandi Chastain, Aly Wagner, Leslie Osborne and Danielle Slaton.